Philippines: Luzon power supply thin, red and yellow alerts raised

Philippines: Luzon power supply thin, red and yellow alerts raised

The Luzon grid was put on red alert yesterday after earthquakes that hit
Batangas over the weekend caused power facilities to trip.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the island on
yellow alert from 9 am to 4 pm due to insufficient operating power, with
peak demand at 8, 926 megawatts and available capacity at 9, 515 MW.

However, the status was raised to red alert from 1 pm to 3 pm when demand
increased to 9, 370 MW and available capacity at only 9, 300 MW.

Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said
Luzon lost 2, 905 MW of power, 1, 570 MW of which were plants affected by
the earthquake that shook Batangas and other parts of Metro Manila on
Saturday.

The quake affected the 50-MW Avion 2, 500 MW San Lorenzo units 1 and 2, 420
MW San Gabriel and 600 MW Ilijan Block B.

Despite being affected by the earthquake, the 300 MW Calaca 2 and 150 MW
SLPGC managed to reconnect to the grid.

First Gen Corp., which owns Avion, San Gabriel and San Lorenzo plants, said
the plants were not damaged but various components of the San Lorenzo
switchyard, which connects the plants to the Luzon grid, sustained damage.

"In cooperation with Siemens Power Operations Inc. (SPOI), the Operations
and Maintenance (O&M) contractor for the San Lorenzo and San Gabriel power
plants, the company is already working on an interim solution to restore
operability of the San Lorenzo Switchyard and enable resumption of operation
of the San Lorenzo, San Gabriel, and Avion power plants," the power firm
said.

Other power facilities with a total capacity of 918 MW were on planned
outage, like the Angat Auxiliary Unit 4 (6 MW), Avion Unit 1 (50 MW), Calaca
Unit 1 (300 MW), Magat Units 3 and 4 (180 MW), and Pagbilao Unit 1 (382 MW).

Plants on forced outage with a total capacity of 437 MW are Makban Unit 5
(55 MW) and Pagbilao Unit 2 (382 MW) due to high turbine vibration and
boiler tube leak, respectively.

Fuentebella said DOE ordered the operation of Malaya units 1 and 2 Thermal
Power Plant with a combined capacity of 450 MW.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has readied 130 MW from its interruptible load
program (ILP), spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

"We are currently on the final crafting of a policy on energy resiliency
planning and programs to guide our energy industry participants to
strengthen their existing infrastructure facilities, incorporate mitigation
improvements into the restoration of damaged infrastructures, and improve
operational and maintenance standards and practices," DOE Secretary Alfonso
Cusi said in a statement.

The Luzon grid is expected to be on yellow alert until Wednesday; when
people are expected to leave Metro Manila for the Holy Week break and ease
the demand on the grid.

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Link to Original Article:
http://powerphilippines.com/2017/04/11/luzon-power-supply-thin-red-yellow-al
erts-raised/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com