The Luzon and Visayas grids were again placed under yellow alerts yesterday as 49 power plant units were on either forced outage or on de-rated capacities, displacing 1,941.2 megawatts (MW).
The power alert levels were declared even with the recent addition of the 159 MW Laoag solar power plant in Aguilar, Pangasinan by Aboitiz Renewables Inc. (ARI), the renewable energy arm of Aboitiz Power Corp.
Yellow alert was raised in the Luzon Grid yesterday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. as 20 power plant units and one more de-rated capacities resulted in the unavailability of 1,369.3 MW in the region.
Yellow alert was raised in the Visayas Grid from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; then from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Twenty power plant units were on forced outage and eight more with de-rated capacities for a total lost capacity of 604.4 MW in the region.
The yellow alert in the Visayas grid was lifted by 1:30 p.m. yesterday as the capacity shared by the Mindanao grid to Visayas increased.
Yellow alerts are issued when the level of power reserve in the grid is low and power interruptions are not yet imminent.
According to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, available capacity in the Luzon Grid was only at 14,950 MW compared to a peak demand of 13,902 MW.
Available capacity in the Visayas Grid was only 2,881 MW against a peak demand of 2,580 MW.
Aboitiz Power is hopeful its new solar power plant will help in alleviating the power alerts.
“Together with the 94 MW Cayanga-Bugallon solar power facility – also built on sloping, non-agricultural land in Pangasinan and energized last October 2023 – both solar projects will account for about 200 MW of total sellable capacity that will eventually contribute much-needed electricity to the grid. We are eager to contribute to our country’s journey toward energy security, especially during these challenging times,” said Jimmy Villaroman, ARI president.
Aboitiz Power said its 17 MW Tiwi Binary Geothermal power plant will also come online within the current quarter while the 24 MW Magat battery energy storage system which began commercial operations in January 2024 is also being used for ancillary services to augment supply in the Luzon grid.
