NGCP Power update

Let me share another POWER SYSTEM UPDATE emailed to me by Belinda Sale - Canlas of the Corporate Communications Department of the National Grid corporation of the Philippines. This is as of 8:30 am March 3, 2010.

Power transmission utility and system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reports the power grid status today as follows:

Grid / Available Capacity / Peak Demand / Reserves / Generation Deficiency
LUZON / 6,925 MW / 6,776 MW / 149 MW / 0 MW
VISAYAS / 1,171 MW / 1,171 MW / 0 MW / 0 MW
MINDANAO / 808 MW / 1,318 MW / 0 MW/ 510 MW

Luzon grid has limited reserves of 149 MW due to the shutdown of Masinloc 1 (315 MW) since February 28. Plant owner and operator AES Corp. has tentatively scheduled the completion of repair works at the plant on March 7.

Sual 1, operated by Team Energy Philippines, has been operational since yesterday and already provides 647 MW to the grid.

DMCI Holdings Inc.’s Calaca 1 has been operational since 1555H yesterday and is currently providing 162 MW to the grid. However, Calaca 2, which previously provided 180 MW to the grid, was shut down at 0504H today due to technical problems with equipment at the coal-fired facility.

Module 30 of First Gas Power Corporation's Sta. Rita plant is undergoing recommissioning after a major outage on March 2 and will not be fully operational until all technical tests have been finished.

In the Visayas grid, Cebu Energy Development Corporation's plant is now operating at 21 MW. It was providing the grid with 52 MW when technical problems with equipment made it unoperational last night at 1928H. The plant, which has been newly connected to the grid before this incident, is still undergoing technical tests and may increase its capacity to 42 MW within the day.

Salcon Power's Cebu Thermal Power Plant Unit 1 and Unit 2 are both fully operational and loaded with 48 MW and 50 MW respectively.

Mindanao grid continues to experience generation deficiency of up to 510 MW today. This is attributed mainly to limited available capacities of hydro-electric power plants, most of which have very low water inflow to their reservoirs due to the el nino.

There has been an 80% reduction in the capabilities of National Power Corporation's (Napocor) Agus Hydro-electric Power Plants. Pulangi Plant, also owned by Napocor, experienced 90% reduction in capabilities. Lake Lanao elevation as of 0600H yesterday is 699.06 meters, which is below the critical level of 699.15 meters.

Agus Plants have a total available capacity of 97 MW out of the total rated capacity of 727 MW while Pulangi Plant is running at only 30 MW out of the total rated capacity of 255 MW.

Napocor's Iligan Diesel Power Plant is online and provides 30 MW to the grid. Aboitiz Power's Therma Marine Unit 1 and Unit 2 are also operational with a combined available capacity of 96 MW.

NGCP will continue to monitor power grid conditions. As System Operator, it operates the power system or grid in accordance with the Philippine Grid Code. It is also the country's only utility responsible for transmitting high-voltage power from generators to distributors. NGCP does not own nor operate and maintain any power generation and distribution facilities.