Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Luzon’s power supply returned to normal almost two hours after grid operators raised a red alert over the Luzon grid on Monday (June 29) because of dwindling power reserves.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said Luzon resumed normal operations after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) lifted the yellow-alert status of the said grid Monday afternoon.
Citing NGCP data, the DOE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) Director III Irma Exconde told the Philippines News Agency (PNA) via a text message Monday that the ”Yellow alert was lifted effective 16:30 (4:30 p.m.) due to sufficient operating reserves. We are at normal operations.”
Blackout threatened to hit Luzon Monday afternoon after the NGCP placed the Luzon grid on red alert from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. due to zero contingency reserves.
Energy officials said 10 power plants failed to run because of technical difficulties, shedding off over 1,275 megawatts from the grid.
Luzon only had 269 MW of reserves during the hour, coming from a supply of 8,948 MW and 8,679 MW, which is lower than the 647 MW required.
The NGCP said the power shortage was due to the forced outages of a number of power plants, but it did named these plants.
Exconde reported that the second unit of the state-owned Malaya thermal power plant ran at a capacity of 328 megawatts (MW) from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The plant, which was supposed to be privatized, only runs when there is an imminent power shortage.
Exconde added the highest peak on Monday was recorded at 8,692 MW.
According to the NGCP’s power situation outlook as of 6:00 p.m., Luzon’s power supply has stabilized at 9,123 MW with a demand of 8,036 MW.
Luzon’s reserves grew to 1,087 MW, which is higher than the required reserve of 647 MW, from 8,948 MW at 2 p.m.
The Philippines News Agency (PNA) contributed to this report.
