Western Mindanao Power Corp. said over the weekend the timely intervention of its 100-megawatt diesel plant spared Zamboanga City from the worst effects of the massive power outages following the bomb explosion that toppled a tower of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
The bombing of Tower 8 at Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, on Oct. 24 tripped the Baloi-Aurora 138-kiloVolt line, resulting in widespread power outages throughout the Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental, and parts of Lanao del Norte.
The tower was bombed by lawless elements using improvised explosive devices. The power supply was restored 36 hours after the tower was bombed.
WMPC said the increased dispatch to Zamboanga City from its diesel plant in Barangay Sangali of around 50 MW shielded the city from the blackout experienced by other cities in the region and nearby areas.
“We at WMPC are always ready to ensure the continuous flow of power to Zamboanga City. In last Monday’s emergency and in other similar transmission incidents, we have consistently been able to respond and provide the people of Zamboanga City with the power they need,” WMPC plant manager Pete Torrejon said.
The 100-MW WMPC diesel plant began operating in 1997 and remains the only major power facility in Zamboanga City and the entire Zamboanga Peninsula.
WMPC, owned by the Alsons Power Group, is Mindanao’s first private-sector power generator.
The group has a portfolio of four power facilities with a total generating capacity of 468 MW serving over eight million people across 14 cities and 11 provinces in Mindanao.