Unscheduled power interruptions are highly likely in the Catanduanes grid during the peak of summer this May due to thinning power reserves blamed on low water level and defective generating sets.
Already, a number of areas in the grid have suffered emergency load shedding lasting for several hours, the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative Inc. (FICELCO) said, as the extreme heat pushes consumers to increase usage of electric fans and airconditioning units.
The hike in demand for electricity has put pressure on the power plants of the island’s lone independent power provider, Sunwest Water & Electricity Co. (SUWECO).
According to the April 25, 2024 power outlook issued by FICELCO management, only 200 kilowatt-hours of electricity are being produced by the two units at SUWECO’s Solong Hydroelectric Power Plant in San Miguel which normally has a dependable capacity of 2,100 kWh.
On the other hand, of the three units at its Hitoma HPP in Caramoran, two are currently under repair, leaving the lone unit to produce only 200 kWh out of the plant’s total dependable capacity of 1,500 kWh.
The other renewable power plant, the National Power Corporation’s Balongbong HPP in Bato, is not contributing to the grid at this moment.
Except for one unit at the Marinawa, the other 16 diesel power plants of SUWECO are reportedly operating smoothly.
The company provides a maximum of 14,500 kWh of electricity during peak hours but on April 25, this fell short of the actual power demand of 14,847 kWh at 11 AM and a shade less at 2 PM and 3 PM.
On two days last week, FICELCO implemented emergency load shedding due to low water level and non-operational diesel gensets, bringing an hour-long power outage to 13 barangays of Bato town on April 22 as well as a longer five-hour brownout to 14 barangays in Virac last April 24.
Contributory to the last load shedding was the on-going repair of two diesel gensets of SUWECO at its Marinawa plant.
FICELCO General Manager Engr. Francis Gianan told the Tribune that the cooperative expects the peak load to reach or surpass 16 megawatts in the coming days, which means the deficiency would be greater and longer power interruptions could occur.
In a post on its Facebook page, the electric cooperative, together with SUWECO and NPC, sought the wider understanding of the consuming public of the situation.
They assured that they will do all possible measures and work with each other in minimizing or altogether avoid load shedding in the province this summer.
They likewise urged the public, especially its member-consumer-owners to resort to power-saving measures and avoid wasting electricity.
In an advisory issued last April 1, the Department of Energy (DOE) enjoined all distribution utilities, including electric cooperatives, to be fully ready to activate and implement the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) during the summer/dry season, along with other needs to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in the power sector.
Secretary Raphael Lotilla requested the National Grid Corporation and the Dus to submit updates on the registered ILP participants.
The National Electrification Administration (NEA) was likewise enjoined to provide necessary assistance to ECs in the implementation of the ILP.
Under this program, the cooperative and participating consumer enters into an agreement for voluntary de-loading by the consumer for a mutually agreed upon period.
The program is likewise an option for reducing the period of rational power interruption to consumers.
The consumer, which usually uses a large amount of electricity, is obligated to use its stand-by generation capacities during a supply deficit until new capacities become available. For this, the participating consumer is compensated for running their gensets.
“De-loading, whether in full or in partial, compensation for the ILP participants will be recovered from all consumers of the EC as part of its total cost of power to be included in its monthly computation of generation rate,” NEA stated in Memorandum No. 2022-52.
However, consumers whose electric service is discontinued by way of rotational power interruption because the de-loading of ILP participants is still insufficient to cover the rest of the consumers’ demand, are not included in the computation of the generation rate, it clarified.
GM Gianan said FICELCO has yet to implement the ILP as it is still gathering data on consumers or establishments with big loads who have their own diesel gensets and thus could be encouraged to participate in the program during the critical periods of the summer or dry season.
Among the big-load consumers being surveyed are malls and other large business establishments, banks, local government units and others.