THE shutdown of the Malampaya Natural Gas Facility may affect the power rates of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), but only minimal.
This was stated on Monday by Ceneco general manager Sulpicio Lagarde, who said the power rate increase could be a possibility as Negros is connected to the Luzon grid.
“If the source of power of Luzon goes down, they will utilize whatever power is available from the Visayas,” Lagarde said.
He added that based on the last shutdown of Malampaya, the rate increase was P2.
“I am not saying that it will be the same,” he said.
The maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas-to-power facility takes place from January 28 to February 16.
Malampaya’s natural gas fuels are among the three of Luzon’s power plants that supply about half of the Luzon grid’s requirements.
The affected plants have been required by the Department of Energy to tap the costlier diesel, which could spike electricity rates.
For January, Ceneco’s residential rates increased by P0.9523 per kilowatt hour (kWh). From P8.0756 per kWh in December, Ceneco’s current rate is P9.0279 per kWh.
The generation charge went up by P0.5492 per kWh; transmission charge, P0.2122 per kWh; and systems loss charge, P0.0854 per kWh.
Lagarde said the January billing increase does not reflect the adjustment related to the Malampaya shutdown.