Power supply investors urged to come up with other forms of supply to cater future demand in Visayas

CDN file photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Investors are urged to come up with other forms of energy supply to cater the projected demand in the Visayas.

This was what Engr. Jose Rey Maleza, the chief science research specialist of the energy management division of the Department of Energy (DOE),  said during his online forum with the energy suppliers in Cebu.

Based on their forecast on the actual 2020 demand, a much higher demand is expected here, should the economy, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,  be restored late 2021 or starting 2022.

“If the economy will be restored on late this year, or by next year, this will change everything. The forecast now, will be much higher compared to what is presented right now,” he said.

For the low forecast, by 2020, Maleza said Visayas will be having a demand of 2,201 MW, based on the 2 percent demand forecast and an estimated 7 percent annual average growth.

But based on their high forecast, by 2040, the demand  is expected to be around 8,982 MW.

“In this scenario, the renewable energy accounts much of the supply in the Visayas area. So that’s the reason why we’re giving right now the investment forum to attract investors to come up with other forms of energy sources that will cater to the projected demand in the Visayas area,” he said.

He mentioned that last year, Visayas consumed much coal accounting to around 49.7 percent of the generation capacity and of RE with 48.4 percent in the installed capacity.

Meanwhile, he emphasized that oil-based is usually used during peak hours, where there are generation deficiencies due to the inability of the based-load coal plant.

Renewable accounts comes not only from the geothermal sources but also from  solar power plants, especially in Negros Islands, which generates more or less 300 MW during peak, he said.

Maleza noted a peak demand of 2,2186 MW for the whole Visayas in the month of January 2020, or prior to the declaration of national health emergency.

He, however, clarified that this is lower than what they had expected on their forecast in 2019.

He said the high demand of power supply in Visayas, if not during the dry season or summer months, is also expected in the month of December.

Maleza said they have installed capacity of 3,814 MW in the Visayas, but stressed that only 3,333 MW is dependable.

Despite that, the DOE official said they are anticipating that there will be minimal power interruptions should the demand increase in the next coming years, provided that all generating plants are operating as well as all the indicative power plants.

/bmjo

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