NGCP warns of possible manual load dropping in Panay

ILOILO City – The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines ( NGCP) alerted the public on the possible implementation of manual load dropping (MLD) in Panay island.

This, after the Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) in Concepcion, Iloilo notified the NGCP of the reduction of power it produced from 124 megawatts to 65 megawatts due to issues internal to the plant.

The NGCP has likewise been advised that the internal issue may cause PCPC to shutdown entirely.

“It’s a heads-up that in the event there is deterioration in the generation or our system is threatened, we will be considering manual load dropping as a worst- case scenario. Currently, we are monitoring closely, we will be sending advisories if there are updates or developments,” said Reagan Alcantara, lead specialist of t he public relations of the NGCP.

PCPC is one of two big power generators in Panay; the other is the Panay Energy Development Corporation ( PEDC), but only two of its three units are operating.

As previously advised, the PEDC Unit 1 with a load capacity of 83 megawatts is on maintenance shutdown from Feb. 1 to 17, 2024.

“Considering the unresolved internal power plant issues of PCPC, and the maintenance shutdown of PEDC Unit 1 until 17 February, NGCP may implement manual load dropping to preserve the integrity of the Panay sub- grid pursuant to the provisions of the Philippine Grid Code,” read part of the NGCP advisory.

Following NGCP’s advisory, Sen. Grace Poe reiterated her call for the NGCP to be “more proactive” in securing the power needs of the Visayas.

She noted t hat while i mplementing t he MLD, which would result i n rotational brownouts, may prevent another domino effect of plant tripping and eventual collapse of the grid, “we need a more proactive stance from our sole power transmission operator.”

The senator pointed to the urgent need for the NGCP to finish its power transmission projects, including the Cebu-Panay- Negros project, to ensure a stable power supply across the country.

“A responsible power transmission operator should pursue long- term solutions and not knee-jerk responses. All power providers and regulatory agencies must work together over time to restore integrity of the grid,” she said.

She likewise urged the Energy Regulatory Commission to look into NGCP’s limited visitational powers, which “effectively prevents proper monitoring of the plants.”

She said power consumers should also be informed about the definite timeline as to how long the power crisis would be.

From Jan. 2 to Jan. 5, power blackout hit Panay Island and other parts of Region 6.

The NGCP earlier blamed the power outage on PEDC Unit 1, which tripped at around noontime on Jan. 2 due to a boiler feed pump issue.

The PCPC Unit 1 and PEDC Unit 1 simultaneously tripped because of a grid voltage imbalance.

Unit 1 of PEDC with 83 megawatts load capacity tripped at 12:06 p.m. on Jan. 2, and after two hours or at 2: 19 p. m., PEDC’s Unit 2 with an 83- megawatt load capacity and the PCPC with 135- megawatt followed./