Grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has issued the fourth consecutive yellow alert for the Luzon power grid for four hours on Friday.
The series of yellow alerts consecutively implemented this year has prompted concerns on the need for additional reserves to the grid to avoid brownouts.
“We need capacity. We are not saying that we lack capacity but we need capacities to come in because demand continues to go up,” Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said.
Delola said demand growth was not only driven by the franchise area of Manila Electric Co. but other areas as well.
“Growth is coming also outside of the economic center…Our supply is enough. We experience yellow alert only because some plants are on outage. Yellow alert is not something to be concerned of,” Delola said.
NGCP said the Luzon grid was on yellow alert due to the unexpected shutdown and limited generation of some power plants and high power demand.
NGCP put the Luzon grid on yellow alert from noon to 4 pm June 1 with available capacity at 11,354 MW as against peak demand of 10,615 MW.
Manila Electric Co., in its advisory, said the yellow alert was due to the “insufficient reserve brought about by forced outage of Calaca 2 and various plants still out and derated.”
“During yellow alerts such as this, Meralco always readies its ILP. As of noon, 58 accounts committed to participate in the interruptible load program totaling 109.06 MW in case the need arising,” Meralco said.
Power plants that went on unplanned outage included QPPL (459 MW), Calaca 2 (300 MW), Malaya 2 (320 MW), Makban 5 (55 MW) and SLPGC 1 (150).
Power plants that were derated or with limited generation capacity included Calaca 1 (230 MW) and SCPC (75 MW).
Also affecting supply were plants that are on planned outage such as San Roque 1 -3 (124 MW per unit), Angat 3 (58 MW), Malaya 1 (150 MW) and Tiwi 5 (44 MW).
The Magat hydro plant was also constrained at 82MW as ordered by the National Irrigation Administration.
The yellow alert was expected to be lifted late afternoon Friday.
NGCP announced the yellow alert status for several hours since Tuesday.
“Yellow alert means that the reserve power is low. In case of supply deficiency, corporations and commercial establishments participating under the interruptible load program are ready to use their generator sets to help prevent/minimize incidents of power outage,” Meralco said.