The Department of Energy (DOE) detailed short and medium-term interventions aimed at injecting roughly 260 megawatts of capacity into the Visayas power grid, moving to stabilize the region hobbled by more than a month of supply shortfalls and rotating power alerts.

The DOE said on Wednesday, June 17, that the government’s immediate strategy relies heavily on accelerating the deployment of 170 megawatts of battery energy storage systems in the critical hubs of Cebu, Negros, and Panay.

The DOE is also arranging the transfer of a 20-megawatt modular diesel generating set and a dedicated power barge from Metro Manila to Panay to provide localized relief.

The combined emergency capacity is estimated to be sufficient to meet the power demands of approximately 1.25 million households in the region.

The emergency rollout comes as the Visayas grid continues to operate on thin margins, forcing grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to issue yet another six-hour yellow alert on Wednesday afternoon.

System operators reported that 984.8 megawatts of capacity remained offline due to unplanned outages and derations across the aging regional fleet.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the DOE is applying intense pressure on private power producers to expedite repair timelines for several major baseload plants.

Central to the recovery plan is the scheduled July 3 return of the 150-megawatt Unit 3 at the Panay Energy Development Corp. facility.

Garin noted that the combination of this major unit’s return and the state-led capacity injections should substantially reinforce the grid and eventually bring an end to the rolling red and yellow alerts that have disrupted businesses and consumers since May.

Simultaneously, regulators are monitoring restoration works at Aboitiz Power Corp.’s two Therma Visayas Inc. units, which each carry a capacity of 169 megawatts, alongside ongoing repairs at Kepco-SPC Power Corp.’s Unit 1.

Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan confirmed that Kepco-SPC’s unit had encountered unforeseen operational friction during its restart sequence, delaying its full grid synchronization to June 19.

Despite the technical setbacks, Marasigan maintained that the targeted rehabilitation efforts are beginning to relieve system stress, noting a measurable drop in both the duration of daily yellow alert windows and the overall supply deficits.

Looking further out, the energy department is reviewing fast-track approval applications for expansions at Therma Visayas Unit 3 and Palm Concepcion Power Corp.’s Unit 2 to permanently lift the region's reserve margins. (Gabriell Christel Galang)