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IN an effort to immediately address the power shortfall in Cebu, Cebu Gov. Gwen-dolyn Garcia got Kepco-Salcon Power Corp.’s (KSPC) assurance to finish the preventive maintenance of its plant ahead of schedule.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) also reported yesterday a lower power deficit, while other industry players assured to bring in additional power to the grid before the end of the month.

Kepco promised to complete the work on the Cebu Thermal Power Plant (CTPP) 1 two or three days earlier than Feb. 15.

The Visayas grid is experiencing a 200-megawatt (mw) shortfall in power supply for 10 days starting Jan. 30 due to the preventive maintenance work on the Mahanagdong geothermal power plant in Leyte.

Two other plants in Cebu were shut down.

The CTPP 1 is also undergoing preventive maintenance while two gas turbines in the Naga Power Plant Complex, capable of generating 44 mw, are reportedly not operating because of the failure to deliver fuel.

Garcia called for a meeting with stakeholders at the Capitol yesterday to allay fears brought about by the shortfall that resulted in rotating brownouts.

A representative from NGCP reported that while there was an expected 185-mw power deficit, there was only an actual deficit of 109 mw.

In Cebu, there was an actual deficit of 41 mw but because of the Visayan Electric Co.’s (Veco) interruptible load agreement that generated an additional 10 mw, the deficit was limited to 31 mw.

Department of Energy’s (DOE) Aginaldo Briones said the gas turbines in the Naga Power complex can function once a fuel agreement will be signed.

As for the Mahanagdong plant, the first unit will be functional on Feb. 8, enabling it to supply power again. The rest of the plant will be functional by Feb. 16.

Also yesterday, Cebu Energy Development Corp.’s (CEDC) Ed Satina said it will provide 83.7 mw of power to the grid on Feb. 21.

The plant would be available by March yet, but CEDC hastened the pace of construction and implemented, almost at the same time, phases I and II of its Toledo City expansion project because of the power situation in Cebu.

It has been projected as early as 2007 that power would be at its critical level in Cebu in 2010.

Consumption

The Toledo power plant is just one of three that the CEDC consortium is building this year.

But with the said power pledges, Garcia joked, “Now the problem is how to consume.”

However, at the 888 News Forum where Garcia was a guest, she raised the question on why the power plants are undergoing preventive maintenance at the same time,

and why the National Power Corp. (NPC) failed to deliver fuel for the operation of gas turbines in the Naga Power complex.

But power industry players assured that there will be electricity during the elections.

The officials gave a loud “yes” when asked by Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama if, barring force majeure, power could be assured on election day, May 10.

Rama met with NGCP Head Engineer Roberto Uy, officials of DOE, NGCP and Veco, among other agencies and companies, to discuss at the Cebu City Hall the power situation.

Tests

In the meeting with Rama, CEDC’s Satina, however, said they will be able to provide additional power to the grid if they will not experience any technical problems when they connect to the CNP grid, which has an average demand of 600 mw.

He said that Feb. 14 is the start of the synchronization or connection to the grid for test and commissioning of their first power plant. The test for the second unit is on

May 20 and for third unit, in September.

Panay EDC, on the other hand, will synchronize a new unit by October.

EDC’s Ramon Corro said they had to have the Mahanagdong plants undergo preventive maintenance “to prepare the steam field and power plants for the summer months and the May 10 elections.”

Satina said that on Feb. 14, they will have the first plant supply 20 mw (25 percent) to the grid for four hours and then shut it down.

“It is to check if all protection systems are okay,” he said.

Satina said that for a month starting on Feb. 19, the plant will provide 100 percent of its capacity to the grid for 24 hours as a “reliability run.”

“The ideal situation is everything should be okay. After load rejection (connection to the grid) there is no problem, we load everything. If there are minor problems, there would be a delay for a day or two because we have to shut it (plant) down to check,” he said.

Backup

Cebu City north district elections officer Marchel Sarno, who was present during the meeting, said that in the event that there is really power shortage, each poll machine has a backup power that is good for 16 hours.

His concern, however, is if the voting stretches even after the 6 p.m. cut-off, if there will still be voters in the polling centers.

As of yesterday, the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) grid lacked 40 mw of power for the morning peak hours and 60 mw for the afternoon peak hours.

Veco shouldered a shortage of 18.8 mw in the morning and 28.2 mw in the afternoon, resulting in rotation brownouts.

But Garcia said there is no power crisis in the Visayas, particularly in Cebu.

“The headline on Page 2 of Sun.Star Cebu today is appropriate: ‘Don’t panic’ because there’s nothing to worry about as this is only temporary and we are looking for a

solution,” Garcia said.

In her meeting with stakeholders at the Capitol, Garcia asked the business sector to join Veco’s load shedding program.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Samuel Chioson, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Eric Mendoza, Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Filomino Lim and Cebu Business Club’s Dondi Joseph promised support to the project. (JGA/RHM/EOB)

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