An official from the Department of Energy (DOE) has reported a better power situation in Luzon due to improved stability in the region's electricity supply.
Energy Assistant Secretary Mario C. Marasigan told reporters on Friday, May 24, that the power outage was reduced to 1,600 megawatts while the de-rating at 600 megawatts, coming from the loss of 4,000 megawatts of capacity from the system on Thursday.
READ: Luzon grid plunged into new round of power interruptions last Thursday
“Yung tanong naman na posibleng mangyari yung kagabi well ayaw natin alisin yung possibility pero mas maganda yung sitwasyon natin ngayon kumpara kahapon,” Marasigan said at the sidelines of the memorandum of agreement signing between Maharlika Investment Corporation, National Electrification Administration, and Palawan Electric Cooperative.
“So more than 1,000 or up to 1,800 megawatts yung nadadagdag na capacity natin sa grid,” he further said.
[The question about what could have happened last night, we don't want to dismiss that possibility, but our situation today is better than yesterday. The additional capacity being added to our grid is more than 1,000 or up to 1,800 megawatts.]
However, he also warned that high demand will still be sustained due to hot temperatures as prompted by the El Niño phenomenon.
“Kaya inaasahan natin na mataas pa rin demand natin sa eelctrictiy but on the other hand yung ating mga generating facilities medyo naka cope na tayo, marami na rin planta ang nakabalik,” he said.
[So we expect that our electricity demand will still be high, but on the other hand, our generating facilities have somewhat coped, with many plants already back online.]
"Meron pa tayong minamatyagan na mga (power) facilities, at yung mga nakiktia naming medyo mataas yung problems or challenges nilang makabalik, tinitiganan namin yung reports nila at kung hindi kami makuntento sa reports nila then we may visit the facilities," the DOE official added.
[We are still monitoring some power facilities, and those that we see are encountering relatively high problems or challenges in returning, we are closely watching their reports, and if we are not satisfied with their reports, then we may visit the facilities.]
System operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that 21 plants have been on forced outages while six have reported de-rated or reduced generation capacities with one to 1.5-hour rotational brownouts.
Early Friday, the NGCP issued yellow alerts to Luzon and Visayas power due to thin reserves.
As of 9 a.m., said the Luzon grid will be placed on yellow alert on 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
More than 487,000 Manila Electric Company (Meralco) customers were affected by the power outage yesterday coming from the parts of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Pampanga.