TIGHT POWER SUPPLY SEEN; GRIDS ON ALERT
THE Luzon grid may experience tight power supply in May, particularly from May 13 to 26, potentially leading to yellow alerts due to El Niño, a Manila-based think tank said Tuesday. This, as Luzon was placed on red alert and the Visayas on yellow, amid outages in 31 power plants.
In a report, Chief Data Scientist Jephraim Manansala of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said any unplanned outages may further deplete operating reserve levels and affect the grid’s reliability.
“As El Niño reduces the available capacity from hydroelectric power plants, all baseload power plants need to be compliant with the approved Grid Operating and Maintenance Program [GOMP] of the NGCP [National Grid Corporation of the Philippines] and DOE [Department of Energy],” he said.
This year’s GOMP stated that no baseload plants should undergo any outages, both scheduled and unscheduled, from April to June.
“The timely delivery of committed power projects and their expedited testing and commissioning are necessary steps that can enhance the power supply situation,” Manansala suggested.
The red and yellow alert status hoisted over Luzon and Visayas grids, respectively, on Tuesday—after a total of 31 power plants conked out while eight more are running at derated capacity—were extended by the NGCP following the implementation of manual load dropping (MLD) in affected areas.
The red alert notice was in effect until 11 p.m. Tuesday. “Red alert status in Luzon
has been extended due to the outage of two additional plants, Kalayaan 1 and 2 at 180MW each,” NGCP said.
ICSC recommendations
ICSC recommended immediate measures to ensure a stable and continuous power supply across the country: These include an efficient delivery of committed capacities, facilitated through coordination and support from the DOE and NGCP in the testing and commissioning process; averting unplanned outages outside of the approved GOMP; anddistribution or sharing of power supply capacities across the major grids.
Alberto Dalusung III, Energy Transition Advisor of ICSC, said activating the DOE’S ILP can also augment the power supply in Luzon during yellow or red alerts.
“However, resorting to ILP means that the power supply has already deteriorated, signaling the grave reality of our power supply’s vulnerability. We should navigate this critical balance with foresight and collaboration to strengthen the country’s energy resilience,” said Dalusung.
ICSC also recommended demand-side management as an immediate measure to address looming power issues this quarter, highlighting the need for contribution and collaboration among all stakeholders, especially the government, power plant operators, and consumers.
NGCP implements MLD
TO maintain the integrity of the grid, the NGCP implemented an emergency MLD at 4:16 PM in some parts of Baguio City, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Ecija, and Aurora.
MLD was first implemented at 4:15PM with rotational power interruptions affecting parts of northern Luzon.
For the Visayas grid, the yellow alert notice was extended until 9 p.m. due to generation deficiency.
Aboitiz Power Corp., meanwhile, confirmed that its unit, Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) unit 2, was shut down last Monday due to a “bed material leak” inside the boiler.
The 150MW coal plant in Toledo Cebu is now undergoing repairs. “The TVI team is working to restore operations by Friday,” it said.
Boiler tube leak
INDUSTRY sources earlier told Businessmirror a boiler tube leak is the main reason behind the sudden forced outage of most of the power plants.
For instance, Unit 2 of Pagbilao plant went on emergency shutdown last Monday due to possible tube leak. The following day, Unit 1 of Pagbilao also went on unplanned outage due to boiler tube leak.
Meanwhile, two power plants were already on forced outages since March, while another one went on forced outage last April 14. Eight hydro plants, on the other hand, recorded reduced water level or low water supply as it is being used for irrigation and potable water due to El Niño.
NGCP issues a red alert status when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement.
In the case of the Luzon grid, capacity was recorded at 13,537MW. This was not enough to supply peak demand recorded at 13,024MW. As such, the grid was placed on red alert from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday. It will also be on yellow alert from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
A yellow alert, meanwhile, is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.
The NGCP said 19 power plants are on forced outage, while three others are running on derated capacities, which means power supply is depleted by 2,117.3 MW.
The 19 plants on forced outage are BT2020 (13MW), Irisan (1.2MW), NMH (3.9MW), Bineng (19.8MW), VS Gripal (5.4MW), NIA (6MW), Bakun 1 (74MW), Masinloc 1 (344MW), SLPGC 2 (150MW), Maris 1 (4.3MW), Maris 2 (4.3MW), Bakun 2 (12.4MW), Ambuklao 1 (37.5MW), Ambuklao 2 (37.5MW), Binga 1 (35MW), Binga 4 (35MW), Sta. Rita 40 (264MW), Pagbilao U2 (382MW), Pagbilao U1 (382MW).
Generators with de-rated capacities are SLTEC 1 (120MW), derated by 2MW; SLTEC 2 (20MW), derated by 4MW; Ilijan A (300MW), derated by 300MW.
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco), for its part, said it has advised interruptible load program (ILP) participants for possible de-loading.“we are ready in the event the implementation of MLD or rotating power interruptions will be needed as part of our responsibility to manage the system,” it said.
Meralco services Metro Manila, provinces of Rizal, Cavite, Bulacan and parts of the provinces of Pampanga, Batangas, Laguna and Quezon.
Visayas grid
A TOTAL of 676.5MW was shaved off from the Visayas grid after 12 power plants conked out, while five others are running on derated capacities.
The 12 plants are SCBP (19.5MW), HPC 1 (2MW), VMC 2 (21.5MW), SCBI (7.4MW), PCPC (135MW), PB101 U2 (5.5MW), PB101 U3 (5.5MW), SNBP (25MW), TVI U2 (169MW), FFHC (9MW), VMC 1 (2.5MW), PDPP3-G (13MW).
Those with de-rated capacities are Leyte A-315MW (derated by 175.1MW), PGPP 1-110.5MW (derated by 76MW), CEDC U3-82MW (derated by 75MW), TGPP-79.5MW (derated by 41MW), and PDPP3-E-8MW (derated by 4MW).
The Visayas grid was placed on yellow alert from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. because its available capacity stood at 2,742MW versus a peak demand of 2,440MW.
New line in CNP
MEANWHILE, the NGCP said the newly-energized Cebu-negros-panay 230-kilovolt (kv) Backbone Project Stage 3 (CNP3), is a big step towards improving power transmission services in the Visayas grid as its energization will allow the delivery of power to support Panay’s needs from Cebu or elsewhere from the grid, “provided that there is an availability of excess power generation.”
“While the line will help improve the delivery of power, more baseload plants in Negros and more in-island generation in Panay are needed to prevent the occurrence of power outages,” ngcp said.
The new line, with a carrying capacity of 400MW, is the third stage in the CNP backbone. This upgrades the existing Amlan-samboan submarine cable which currently connects Cebu and Negros islands.
The first stage of the CNP Project added a new 230kv transmission line from Bacolod to E.B Magalona, and the second stage upgraded the Cebu Substation into 230kv level.
While the energization of the line will definitely improve transmission services and the reliability of the grid, NGCP stressed the need for carrying out strategic developments in the generation side to fully optimize the benefits of the strengthened interconnection.
“The project’s completion was touted by some parties as the primary solution to the recent spate of power outages in Negros and Panay. But CNP3 is not the sole or primary solution to the woes of Panay consumers.
“Transmission and power generation go hand in hand. Sufficient power generation development supported by reliable transmission is the formula for optimized energy development. This will support the country’s push towards economic recovery,” ngcp explained.
DOE works with stakeholders
MEANWHILE, the Department of Energy (DOE) said it is closely coordinating with all power stakeholders to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to minimize the impact of the power supply situation in Luzon and Visayas.
However, to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the DOE should share part of the blame. “The red alert status in the Luzon grid and the yellow alert in the Visayas grid are unacceptable and alarming. We have repeatedly called on the Department of Energy to implement the necessary contingency plans that would tide us over when one or several of our power plants are incapacitated or unable to operate at full capacity,” said the senator in a statement.
The DOE has instructed all distribution utilities (DUS), including Meralco and electric cooperatives (ECS), to activate their ILP to help reduce the overall demand in the grid.
The DOE also reminded all government offices to conserve energy. Industrial and commercial establishments are likewise encouraged to minimize the use of power during peak hours to help mitigate the impact of the supply shortage.
“Flexible work arrangements and other conservation measures would also be helpful. The extremely high temperatures have been affecting the operations of power plants in the grid,” DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.