DOE assures no interruption of power supply during summer

The Department of Energy (DoE) is confident that the power supply will be uninterrupted during the dry months as more power plants are slated for commissioning to augment nationwide supply.

Energy Assistant Secretary Mario C. Marasigan revealed on Monday that within the next few months, several power plants will become operational, adding over 300 megawatts (MW) of power to the grid.

These include the Mariveles Coal Phase 1 Unit 1 with a capacity of 150 MW, several hydropower projects with a combined capacity of around 20 MW, a geothermal binary project with a capacity of 29 MW, and solar power projects with a combined capacity of around 104 MW.

“In the current monitoring and assessments, we have not yet seen a shortage in the supply of electricity and our demand has not yet reached our projected peak demand this year,” Marasigan said during a public briefing on Monday.

“We still have a gap of about 2,000 MW in Luzon, while in Vis-Min there is still around 200 to 500 MW shortfall in the estimated peak demands this year,” he added.

The Luzon grid was supported by the Leyte-Luzon HVDC link, which added an average of 296 MW.

Additionally, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnected Project also contributed an average of 341 MW of exports to the Visayas region, which helped stabilize supply.

Based on the latest data from the market operator as of 24 March, the average energy demand saw a significant jump, which increased to 13,185 MW from 12,372 MW in February.

Notably, all regions experienced this increase, with Luzon showing a 6.1 percent rise, followed by Visayas at 6.4 percent and Mindanao at 8.4 percent.

As per the DoE simulations, the Luzon grid may experience a Yellow Alert this April and in May due to low hydroelectric levels caused by El Niño, but the Visayas and Mindanao grids will have normal reserve levels during the second quarter.

Thus, the Energy department assured that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and distribution utilities were ready to activate the Interruptible Load Program, while the National Electrification Administration is on full alert to provide necessary assistance to electric cooperatives.

As dry months started, the DoE assured that it will keep a close eye on the nation's energy situation to make sure there are no interruptions in power supply and to ensure energy security.

To prevent alert notices, the DoE said it continuously monitors the power grid's integrity and reliability by updating its power outlook and considering changes in power-generating unit operations.

When needed, the DoE said it will tap related government agencies to expedite approval for regulatory requirements for completing power facilities.