Fewer brownouts seen

More than a week after a fire hit the Kepco-SPC coal plant’s crusher building, repairs on Unit 1 were completed ahead of the management’s June 6 deadline. (CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)

Residents in Cebu can look forward to fewer rotation brownouts at the end of the week, the regional Department of Energy (DOE) office said yesterday.

This after Unit 1 of the Korean Electric Power Corp.-Salcon Power Corp. (Kepco-SPC)’s coal plant in the City of Naga resumed supplying 100 megawatts (MW) in the Visayas grid as of 11:59 p.m. last Wednesday.

Although Engr. Rey Maleza, DOE-7 industry management division supervisor, said Central Visayas still lacks 50 MW every peak hour despite importing 1,300-MW from Luzon.

“The 100-MW from Kepco-SPC can absorb the remaining shortage and hopefully we will no longer have to do more manual load dropping or the rotation brownouts in the region,” he said.

The Kepco-SPC management said their technical personnel worked around the clock to complete repairs on the conveyor line and electrical systems that were damaged by the May 30 early morning fire that hit the plant’s crusher building.

With personnel expediting the repairs ahead of the June 6 deadline, the 100 MW supplied by Kepco’s unit 1 reduced the supply shortage from 226 MW to 182 MW as projected by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

Peak demand
In a statement sent to Cebu Daily News, KSPC management said unit 2 of their coal plant will be back online after completion of its approved planned Preventive Maintenance Schedule (PMS) on June 22 this year.

Based on the power outlook provided by NGCP, the Visayas grid has a systems capacity of 1,411-MW yesterday and a peak demand of 1,593 MW, leaving a shortage of 182-MW.

By Sunday, power supply is projected to reach 1,552-MW  until Thursday next week.

As of 2:05 p.m. yesterday, the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) shut off power in parts of the City of Naga including Tangke, Pangdan, Lutac, Balirong, Lanas, Uling, Mayana, Tagjaguimit, Tinaan, Naalad, Mainit, Jaguimit, Patag, Alpaco, Inuboran, Langtad, Cabungahan and Bairan and in South Poblacion of San Fernando and Balud.

Veco’s share of the shortage curtailment was 11.8-MW.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III still hasn’t received direct feedback on the power situation in the province days after the rotation brownouts began.

“This prompted me to also set a meeting with [power utilities and the Department of Energy (DOE)] but we still have to set a meeting (date),” he said.