Yellow, red alerts raised over tight power supply

By: Riza T. Olchondra - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippines—While electricity has been restored at the distribution level for most of Metro Manila and nearby provinces affected by Typhoon “Glenda,” the power supply situation remains tight for the Luzon grid, prompting experts to hoist a “yellow alert” over the island.

An electric post is toppled at the height of Typhoon “Glenda” (international name: Rammasun) in Noveleta, Cavite province. The typhoon led to power outages affecting a total of 13.5 million people in Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the Visayas. EDWIN BACASMAS

This means areas in the Luzon grid could still experience power outages on Sunday and anytime a major power plant shuts down this week.

“We are on yellow alert on Sunday to Friday, except Monday where we will be on red alert,” Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said in a text message on Saturday. He said power demand was expected to be higher on Monday while at least two major power stations remained shut.

The 1,271-megawatt Ilijan natural gas-fired power plant in Batangas City, which resumed supplying the Luzon grid on Friday, was back at full capacity by Saturday, said Mylene C. Capongcol, director of the Department of Energy’s Power Industry Management Bureau.

A 647-MW unit of the 1,294-MW Sual coal-fired power plant in Pangasinan and one 250-MW module of the 1,060-MW Sta. Rita natural gas-fired power plant in Batangas were also supplying power to the grid.

However, the 511-MW Quezon Power coal-fired plant in that province and the 530-MW San Lorenzo natural gas-fired power plant in Batangas had not resumed deliveries to the Luzon grid.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines confirmed that a yellow alert, at best, was expected for the Luzon grid throughout the week.

Distribution utility Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), for its part, said most of its customers had their power restored as of Saturday even as circuit repairs in “isolated” cases continued.

Meralco said that as of Saturday afternoon, 87.25 percent of its franchise area had power.

In Metro Manila, 2.64 percent of its customers were still experiencing brownouts.

In the nearby provinces, Batangas (24.18 percent without power), Bulacan (0.36 percent), Cavite (27.28 percent), Laguna (41.14 percent), Quezon (60.44 percent) and Rizal (7.6 percent) had rotating brownouts.