Power supply situation still below normal

The power supply situation in the Luzon grid is expected to improve with the onset of the rainy season, but the scenario remains subnormal and more yellow and red alerts are still expected, according to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

NGCP said in a statement that a new record peak demand in Luzon was recorded at 11,344 megawatts last month, which was 4-percent higher than last year’s peak of 10,876 MW.

The grid operator noted that despite the El Niño phenomenon bringing about a drier and more humid summer season—causing high demand for electricity—the transmission systems remained reliable and did not encounter any major issues throughout the period.

“Now that the summer season is officially over, this does not mean that we should stop implementing energy-saving measures,” NGCP said. “Let us make it a part of our lifestyle to be wise electricity consumers so that we can do our part in ensuring improved power flow within the grid.”

While peak demand in Luzon reached a new record albeit lower than the Department of Energy’s (DOE) forecast of 11,403 MW, the Visayas and Mindanao grids have not yet reached their peak for the year.

For 2019, the DOE projected demand to peak in the Visayas at 2,299 MW and in Mindanao at 2,130 MW—both expected by the last quarter.

NGCP said it was continuously improving, expanding and reinforcing the power grid to accommodate additional loads from power generators and enable better transmission of electricity across the country.

Earlier this year, the company powered up six capacitor banks with a total capacity of 875 megavolt ampere reactive in various substations in Luzon to improve the grid’s resilience against major disturbances in the system.

“Through the installation of these capacitor banks, we are able to ensure the quality of power transmitted through our lines, especially during the summer season, where the peak period of the Luzon grid for the year is usually recorded,” NGCP said.

The new installations included two capacitor banks each in San Jose (Bulacan), Mexico (Pampanga), Biñan (Laguna) and Dasmariñas (Cavite).