MINDANAO lost 58 megawatts more as a still unidentified group bombed and toppled down a power transmission tower in Ramain, Lanao del Sur on Christmas eve, the National Grid Corp. confirmed over the weekend.
The immediate effects were cushioned by the Mindanao grid’s power reserve owing to the temporary shutdown of power-hungry industries because of Christmas break. Still, the damage resulted in blackouts in some Mindanao areas starting on Christmas eve.
The Mindanao grid had a power reserve of 83 mw as of 1 pm on Saturday. The grid had a 1,482-mw system capacity and 1,399-mw system peak that day.
Toppled was Tower 25 in the Lanao del Sur town, resulting in the isolation of the Agus 1 and Agus 2 hydroelectric plants, the NGCP said in an advisory.
NGCP said the Mindanao grid lost 58 mw due to the bombing at 10:47 pm Thursday. The toppled tower provided a link to the Agus 2-Kibawe 138-kilovolt line.
NGCP said there was another bombing in Carmen, North Cotabato some 15 minutes after the Lanao del Sur explosion. The target of the still unidentified group was Tower 95 in Carmen town.
Tower 85, which was not toppled, holds the 138-kv Kibawe-Kabakan Lines nos. 1 and 2.
The two incidents bring the towers bombed to 15 this year.
NGCP called on the public to report any suspicious activities on its facilities to prevent similar bombing-induced power outages.
It said it was waiting for the area to be secured first before it conducts repairs.
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