By HERBIE GOMEZ, Editor in chief
THE Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) yesterday effected another round of rotating blackouts in the city, blaming it on the continuing power supply shortage in Mindanao.
The scheduled blackouts were from 2.5 hours to three hours in four areas identified by Cepalco.
Mindanao is still using up electricity more than what it generates. Yesterday, Mindanao was short of 235 mw––its system capacity was 1140 mw against a system peak of 1375 mw, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on its website.
In a public notice, Marilyn Chavez, Cepalco senior manager for customer and community relations, said the actual load curtailment levels set by NGCP on Cepalco changes every hour.
Chavez explained that “when load levels are within allocation, Cepalco will not effect any interruption at all.” Speaking on condition of anonymity, two knowledgeable sources in the Mindanao power sector said the power producer Steag State Power Inc. effected a maintenance shutdown on one of its power-generation units. Steag’s two units have a combined generating capacity of 210 mw.
Later in the afternoon, one of Steag’s spokespersons, Jerome Soldevilla, confirmed that “Unit 2 is on scheduled maintenance since Saturday.”
Soldevilla said the maintenance of the 105-mw generation unit has been scheduled until Aug. 16. “This was scheduled months ago and was coordinated and approved by NPC/Psalm, NGCP, and the Mindanao Grid Coordinating Committee,” said Soldevilla.
There’s also talk among Mindanao power industry players that the National Power Corp.’s Agus 4 hydroelectric plant was down since last week. Neither Napocor or the NGCP has confirmed this.
As of 4 pm yesterday, Mindanao was short of 60 mw, one of the sources said.
As a result of the power shortage, Cepalco effected a power load shedding schedule yesterday, dividing areas in the city and some parts of Misamis Oriental into four groups. The rotating blackouts started at 9 am and lasted until the evening.
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