The Manila Electric Co. (MERALCO) has signed another emergency power supply agreement (EPSA) with San Miguel Corporation’s South Premiere Power Corp. for 180 megawatts to address power demand until March 2024.
In a report by the Manila Standard, MERALCO regulatory management office head Jose Ronald Valles said that the EPSA had been implemented since April 1, in addition to the 300 MW EPSA signed earlier with SPPC.
The EPSA, valid until March 25, 2024, was subjected to two rounds of competitive selection processes (CSP) which both failed due to the lack of bidders.
The said EPSA partially covers MERALCO’s 2019 PSA with SPPC, which is currently subject to a preliminary injunction issued by the Court of Appeals.
In related developments, MERALCO’s second round of the CSP for the 300 MW peaking supply also failed. MERALCO utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez said that the third-party bids and awards committee (TPBAC) did not receive any bids during the deadline.
The TPBAC said, “that the conditions are present for the distribution utility (DU) to enter into direct negotiations to try to meet the supply requirement, in accordance with DOE’s CSP guidelines.”
Valles said that MERALCO welcomes offers from power generators for the 300 MW supply.