Five power plants with a total capacity of 722 megawatts (MW) are set to return to service in the Visayas and Mindanao this September and October.
According to a report by RH Jecelle Ricafort, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the returning generating units include the 82-megawatt Cebu Energy Development Corp. Unit 1, which resumed operations on September 5, and the Therma South Inc. Unit 2 in Davao, which returned to service on September 7.
The 169-MW Therma Visayas Unit 1 is targeted to resume operations on September 15, while the 103-MW GN Power Kauswagan Unit 2 in Lanao del Norte is expected to return by September 20.
The 150-MW Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3 is scheduled to resume operations on October 3.
Garin said the Department of Energy (DOE) is working to stabilize the Visayas grid as quickly as possible following the shutdown of several generating units in recent months.
The DOE has also directed the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to execute outstanding ancillary services contracts needed by the Visayas grid, including those involving battery storage capacity.
Around 253 MW of battery energy storage capacity is also being tapped to provide additional support to the grid.
Garin said the DOE has coordinated with power companies to deploy additional support in Cebu, Panay, Leyte and Negros in case of disruptions involving generating units.
The department is likewise intensifying its review of power plants that have repeatedly experienced forced outages to determine the root causes of the failures and assess whether the facilities have been properly maintained.
Garin said the DOE is also strengthening oversight and accountability of power plants and the grid operator while pushing forward projects already in the pipeline.
She stressed that the recurring red and yellow alerts in the Visayas grid, which have become nearly daily occurrences amid tight power reserves, are unacceptable.
The DOE said the measures are aimed at improving the reliability and stability of the power supply in the Visayas and Mindanao and preventing further disruptions in the grid.
