By NITZ ARANCON, Correspondent
THE Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) yesterday increased the rotating blackouts in the city to four hours, a move that spotlit the instability of Mindanao’s power supply.
The four-hour blackouts were scheduled on the second day of the implementation of a power load shedding scheme in the city and parts of Misamis Oriental under the Cepalco franchise. The schedule covers the July 21-July 26 period.
Marilyn Chavez, Cepalco spokesperson, reiterated that the rotating blackouts were “due to the continuing power supply shortage in Mindanao.”
Chavez said the actual switch off and switch on time may vary from the schedule depending on the actual load curtailment levels set by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) which changes every hour. She said there will be no blackout when load levels are within allocation.
Cepalco started the load shedding scheme on Monday with 2.5-hour to three-hour blackouts.
The NGCP is seeing a gross reserve of (-)117 megawatts today or 1,260 mw of available capacity against a system peak of 1,377 mw. The figures were based on data computed as of 10 am yesterday, and may change depending on actual system conditions.
In a public notice, Chavez revealed that the power supply curtailments have been resorted to all over Mindanao because of problems in the Pulangi and Agus hydroelectric power plants, and the preventive maintenance and servicing of one of the two units of the Steag coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
These supposedly aggravated the Mindanao-wide power shortage, and Cepalco “is constrained to implement rotating brownouts (sic) within its service area.”
Engr. Cerael Donggay, president of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Oro Chamber), said the water levels of Mindanao’s primary sources of hydroelectric power have receded, adversely affecting Mindanao’s hydro-power generation capacity.
Chavez confirmed that there was low water flow into the Pulangi and Agus hydroelectric power plants in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur.
Although it’s already the rainy season, many areas in the country were still not getting enough rainfall owing to the “weak” El Nino that hasn’t loosened its grip, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Donggay, a former Napocor vice president, said there was also a problem on vegetation that caused a fault in the Agus 4 line. But he said the transmission line areas have already been cleared.
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