The Department of Energy (DOE) urged generation companies (gencos) to align the schedules of their power plants’ shutdowns to have enough supply in the power grid in the summer months.
The DOE recently convened energy stakeholders to evaluate the power situation in the Luzon Grid and ensure that there will be sufficient supply, especially during the hot season.
Energy Usec. Emmanuel Juaneza, head of the DOE’s Electrical Power Industry Management Bureau, discussed the anticipated issues relative to ensuring sufficient power capacities in the country’s largest grid.
He cited the need to have sufficient power supply and prevent power outages that inconvenience the consumers and disrupt business operations during the country’s recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
For his part, Energy Asec. Redentor Delola sought gencos’ cooperation and support to arrange their schedules and to realign their maintenance activities.
“We have seen a lot of plant outages in the past few weeks and some of these have been extended towards the summer months. Considering the existing maintenance schedules of plants, we may have to realign our activities for the year to ensure the level of sufficient supply,” he said.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) presented a “good” power outlook for 2021 based on the DOE’s forecast and submitted power plant maintenance schedules. The gencos, requested some adjustments to their schedules so they could improve the situation further.
The DOE, then, advised the gencos to submit a formal documentation of their requests so that the NGCP would be able to revise the grid maintenance program.
Meanwhile, government-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation assured that the Malaya Thermal Power Plant in Pililla, Rizal, one of the contingency plants, would be ready in case the NGCP taps it.
