(CNN Philippines) — Energy officials have yet to identify the cause of a massive blackout in Mindanao on the early hours of Easter Sunday (April 5).
It took up to seven hours to completely restore power in the Mindanao grid, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla told CNN Philippines in a phone interview. However, he noted that some areas near power plants had their electricity restored right away.
Petilla added that authorities are still investigating which power plant tripped. Likewise, he said that they know at least where to start looking.
“There is always a starting point,” Petilla said. “And the starting point indicates, based on the log, to Agus VI and Agus VII area. That would be the starting point of the investigation because that’s where the tripping started.”
Electrical tripping can happen for a number of reasons, such as an overload, a short circuit, or a ground fault.
The plants form a major portion of Mindanao’s Agus Power Plant Complex. According to the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), this consists of six cascading hydroelectric power plants that fall along the Agus River and snake from the mouth of Lake Lanao in Marawi City, down to the Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City.
NAPOCOR said that the Agus VI power plant is the oldest among the lot, a project of President Elpidio Quirino back in the early 1950s.
It was originally known as the Maria Cristina Falls Hydroelectric Plant because of its location right next to the tourist attraction. The corporation said that the plant’s first two generators are due for complete rehabilitation and up-rating.
On the other hand, the Agus VII plant was constructed in 1979 during the Marcos administration. NAPOCOR said that it is the last of the downstream cascading hydroelectric plants. It is located near the mouth of the Agus River at Feuentes, Maria Cristina, Iligan City.
The corporation said that both the Agus VI and Agus VII power plants have nature parks inside their complexes that are open to tourists.
