Luzon, Visayas grids on red alert Thursday

MANILA, Philippines — The Luzon and Visayas grids are set to be placed on red alert on Thursday afternoon and evening, said National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

According to the NGCP advisory, the Luzon grid will be placed under red alert from 1 p.m. to p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

It will also be placed under yellow alert in between those schedules, specifically, 12 noon to 1 p.m., 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 12 midnight.

NGCP issues a red alert status when the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement.

Meanwhile, a yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

The current available capacity in the area is 13,531 megawatts, with the peak demand higher at 13,597 megawatts.

READ: House probe sought on power grid’s frequent yellow, red alerts

A total of 2,525.5 megawatts are currently unavailable to the grid as 18 power plants are currently on forced outage — three of which since 2023, four since between January and March 2024, and 11 since between April and May 2024.

Three power plants are also currently running on derated capacities.

Visayas grid

The Visayas grid will also be placed under red alert, although for a shorter period, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

In between these schedules,  the grid will also be placed under yellow alert from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The current available capacity in the Visayas is 2,588 megawatts, with the peak demand at 2,537 megawatts.

Twenty-one power plants are currently on forced outages — one since 2022, two since 2023, two between January and March 2024 and 16 between April and May 2024.

Three are currently running on derated capacities.

Due to this, 553.1 megawatts are currently unavailable to the grid.