Transmission upgrade levels up Panay power
The system operator already assured that it will use 10 percent of the headroom of the large coal plants as a contingency reserve during the shutdown as part of its short-term solution
(File Photo)
Daily TribuneThe system operator already assured that it will use 10 percent of the headroom of the large coal plants as a contingency reserve during the shutdown as part of its short-term solution
(File Photo)
Power consumers in Panay Island, which was recently plagued by massive blackouts, may expect better services by the end of the month following the scheduled completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay transmission upgrade.
The Department of Energy, or DoE, said over the weekend that Palm Concepcion Power Corp., or PCPC, one of the largest coal power plants that power the island, is under regular maintenance shutdown until 30 March.
“By the end of March, the Panay grid will be strengthened by the completion of the Cebu- Negros-Panay transmission upgrade and the PCPC regular maintenance shutdown will be finished,” the DoE said.
Due to the ongoing system disruption, the DoE reiterated the importance of cooperation among power generators, distribution utilities, and the system operator in Panay.
According to the energy department, the system operator already assured that it will use 10 percent of the headroom of the large coal plants as a contingency reserve during the shutdown as part of its short-term solution.
On the other hand, long-term solutions, such as the energization of several renewable and conventional power plants and the completion of transmission projects to support electricity generation and the growth of the load centers, are in the pipeline.
Coal plants energize island
The Panay Island is powered by four large coal power plants with a total capacity of 451 megawatts and nine smaller diesel/bunker and renewables with a total capacity of 220.3 MW.
The large coal power plants consist of three units of Panay Energy Development Corp. and one unit of PCPC.
Aside from generators on the island, 180 MW can be drawn from Negros to Panay through a submarine cable. The total demand for Panay Island is below 400 MW.
On 1 March, at 6:59 p.m., the three units of PEDC went on shutdown resulting in a partial blackout of the Panay sub-grid and some parts of Negros.
Around 80 MW of the power demand of Panay was served initially by the Negros-Panay submarine cable and later by the smaller power plants on the island.
By 9:53 p.m., one of the PEDC units returned online, followed by another PEDC unit by 11:22 p.m. The third PEDC unit was synchronized back to the grid at 8:55 a.m. on 2 March.