M’nao Wesm full ops eyed in June 2018: NGCP exec

By Nora Sorino, Iligan Bureau Chief, Sita Asequia and Ric Palahang, Correspondents

The Wholesale Electric Spot Market Mindanao (WESM) in Mindanao will finally be operated commercially by 2018.

The early part of next year would serve as the last stretch of preparations and coordination meetings on the WESM system.

In an e-mail Wednesday, the commercial operation is targeted to start by June 2018, according to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Mindanao operations head Ambrosio Rosales.

WESM was launched on June 26, 2017at SM in Davao City by Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. He said this is, after several presidents and administrations failed to do so.

“At the middle of 2018. By then, all the infrastructures, participators and trial operations have been completed,” said Rosales.

Meanwhile, NGCP said Mindanao, has  a capacity of 3,300 megawatts as against a  power demand of 1,726  MW.

WESM then facilitates a transparent electricity market with which Mindanao power generators will have an avenue to trade contracted power supply.  It will also provide consumers more sources of electricity and thus increasing their chances of lower priced energy.

WESM, Mindanao, he said will be operated by PEMC, a non-stock, non-profit corporation.

“It also operates the Visayas – Luzon WESM,” Rosales added.

He said info is being disseminated to media so as to rectify misinformation and misunderstandings regarding WESM.

“WESM is a venue for trading electricity as a commodity,” Rosales said adding that it serves as a “clearing house” to reflect the economic value for electricity for a particular period as indicated by the prevailing price.

On Nov. 28, the NGCP conducted a “WESM 101 Literary” forum at Luxe Hotel at Cagayan de Oro where several practitioners attended.

The forum said had “mental indigestion” tackling the matter being given to them by several resource speakers through Communications Specialist Beth Ladaga.