The Department of Energy (DOE) said that it has 7,712 megawatts (MW) in committed power plant projects, which are to be added to the grid from this year until 2027.
Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi reported this to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte during his usual late-night Talk to the People on Thursday.
However, around 3,821MW, or half of the added capacity, would be coming from coal despite a moratorium on the building of new plants. Power generation companies (gencos) that wish to expand their coal facilities are exempted from the said policy.
The 1,336MW GNPower Dinginin plant in Mariveles, Bataan serves as the sole committed coal project this year. The 668MW Unit 1 was scheduled to begin operations in late August, while the other 668MW Unit 2 is aimed for completion and operation next year.
Natural gas and renewable energy follow coal with around 2,400MW and 1,053MW, respectively.
Committed power projects are those that gencos have sealed financial closing with their investors.
Cusi also reiterated having enough power supply for the 2022 elections, citing the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ initial outlook.
The secretary called on the private sector, which owns majority of gencos to follow regulations to prevent incidents similar to the Luzon Red Alerts last May and June from happening during the polls. He also instructed his department to ensure that the power supply forecast is either maintained or improved.
The 2022 elections will be held on May 9, a date well within the second quarter, which is known for peak electricity demand and the tripping of multiple power plants.