How to solve Mindanao’s power woes

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The Department of Energy identifies some short- and long-term solutions to address the power shortage in Mindanao

ENDING THE POWER SHORTAGE. DOE Secretary Jerichio Petilla identifies solutions to address the power supply problem of Mindanao. Photo by Leanne Jazul/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Additional power supply, rehabilitation of plants, and capacity sharing among grids.

These are some of the solutions the Department of Energy (DOE) identified to address the power supply problem in Mindanao.

The region is experiencing 2- to 3-hour rotating brownouts because one of its major power plants is being repaired. The coal plant of Steag State Power Inc. sustained damage from the region-wide power failure that occurred on February 27.

The DOE said it lined up short-term solutions to address the brownouts. One of them is the Interruptible Load Program wherein consumers will be compensated for using their generator sets when there’s shortfall in supply in the grid.

Supply will also be boosted through the commissioning and rehabilitation of plants.

Some 128 megawatts in new capacities will be added to the grid soon. These will come from the 15-MW EEI Diesel Peaking Power Plant, 15-MW Mapalad Diesel Power Plant, and the re-commissioning of the 98-MW Iligan Diesel Power Plant.

The Agus 6 Power Plant units 1 and 2, with capacities of 50 MW and 69 MW, will also be rehabilitated to maximize the plant’s power output.

Over the long term, the DOE said new power investments will come in. These include the 300-MW Coal-Fired Therma South Energy Project located in Davao del Sur and the 200-MW Southern Mindanao Coal-Fired in Sarangani, which will be operational by 2015, as well as the 405-MW Coal-Fired Power Plant of FDC Utilities Inc. in Misamis Oriental, which will be online by 2016.

“It takes 2-4 years to build a new power plant. We in the energy sector realize that the problems that we face now require long-term solutions,” DOE Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said.

Petilla said they are also working on the Leyte-Mindanao Interconnection Project, which will enable Mindanao to share capacities with the Luzon and Visayas grids. The project will be completed by 2018.

The DOE also issued Department Circular 2014-03-0006, which directs all existing generation companies in Mindanao to operate and offer their power capacities to the grid.

“All these measures and projects, as established by the DOE with the help of its attached agencies, the local government units and the private sector, are envisioned to provide the best possible solutions to address the Mindanao power situation for the region’s further development,” said the agency. – Rappler.com

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