Power-starved Luzon grid to get boost of 582 MW

Two generators with a combined output of 582 megawatts are expected back online today to help ease tightness in supply as the Luzon grid remains on red alert.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the 300-MW Unit 2 of SEM-Calaca Power Corp. in Batangas will operate again on May 4. However, the generator—which has been on forced outage since April 28 due to a boiler tube leak—will only run at 200 MW.

The DOE said the 382-MW Unit 1 of Pagbilao Energy Corp.’s facility in Quezon would be back online also on May 4. The generator tripped on May 2 due to an excessive water leak.

Meanwhile, there is no advice yet on when the 345-MW Unit 2 of GNPower Mariveles Power Ltd. will again start delivering electricity to the grid.

This generator went out of service after it was isolated from the grid when the recent earthquake caused a transmission line to trip. An attempt on May 2 to synchronize with the grid failed.

Further, one other generator as well as four hydropower plants with a total capacity of about 1,600 MW are running at reduced capacity totaling 736 MW.

These include Unit 2 of Pagbilao Energy, from 420 MW to 300 MW, as the generator’s boiler is undergoing assessment.

The other four are the hydropower plants in Angat (200 MW down to 84 MW), Pantabangan (120 MW to 48 MW), Binga (138 MW to 70MW) and Kalayaan in Laguna (720 MW to 360 MW)—all due to low water levels.