WITHIN the Visayas grid, five “yellow” alerts are projected this year, with no “red” alerts in sight, an official from the Department of Energy (DOE) said Monday, March 20, 2023.
The demand forecast in the island is expected to reach 2,691 megawatts.
On the first day of the Philippine Electric Power Industry Forum, DOE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevarra, said all five “yellow” alerts will fall in the months of October to December.
A yellow alert is raised when energy reserves are insufficient to cover the largest running generating unit at the time but do not necessarily lead to outages.
“During the daytime, we don’t expect “yellow” or “red” alerts. Also, the summer period of Visayas will be normal with no expected “yellow” or “red” alerts. The same thing as for the period of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE),” said Guevarra.
“We requested generation companies to avoid maintenance shutdown during the summer months. That’s why it took us a long time to approve the grid operating and maintenance program. We had to negotiate the schedule,” the DOE official added.
She said the agency is also preparing initiatives to ensure ample power supply during the Philippines’ hosting of Fiba World Cup from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 and the BSKE on Oct. 30.
Guevarra was one of the speakers during the Philippine Electric Power Industry Forum organized by the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines in coordination with the Department of Energy and Energy Regulatory Commission.
The two-day event will bring together key stakeholders in the Philippine electric power industry to discuss issues and concerns with the goal of promoting synergy among stakeholders. This is to support the action plans under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 to help achieve a secure, reliable, and affordable supply of electricity in the country.
Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project
Meanwhile, the transmission link between Visayas and Mindanao grids, according to Guevarra, is set to be energized by end of this month.
Guevarra said this is a “significant leap in the country’s power industry as electricity sharing among the three main islands will now be possible.”
The Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) will link the Mindanao grid to the Visayas grid via a high voltage direct current system with a 450-megawatt initial capacity.
It covers 184-circuit-kilometer (ckm) of submarine cables and 526-ckm of overhead wires connecting Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte to Santander, Cebu.
This development is expected to boost investments, infrastructure and commerce in the country.