Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday urged the public to conserve energy in the coming weeks, due to the scheduled shutdown of the Malampaya Natural Gas Field.
Malampaya’s subsea facilities, gas pipes, and main platform located off the island of Palawan will undergo maintenance from January 28 to February 18, 2017.
“Nakita po ng pag-report sa amin ng Malampaya Consortium na meron pong leak na nangyayari sa ilalim,” Fuentebella said. (“We saw in the report of the Malampaya Consortium that there’s a leak occurring.”)
“Lahat po ‘yan nagkakaroon ng wear and tear sa paggamit. So, may mga panahon na kailangan natin siyang ayusin,” he added. (“All of this is subject to wear and tear…so, there are times when repairs are necessary.”)
The DOE projects an increase of at most P1.44 per kilowatt-hour in consumer’s electricity bills because of the scheduled maintenance, said Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella in a press briefing.
For instance, a household that typically consumes 200 kilowatt-hours may see an increase of ₱200-300 in their March electricity bill.
Read: Malampaya: When the gas runs out will Luzon have power?
The Malampaya gas field provides natural energy to three major power plants in Luzon, supplying around 40 percent of its power requirement.
But because of the shutdown, other power plants will have to rely on diesel instead of natural gas to generate electricity.
“There will definitely be higher rates because it’s a question of — or the issue here is a change of fuel from natural gas to diesel,” Fuentebella said, adding that diesel is more expensive than natural gas.
To save electricity, Fuentebella recommended households to limit using air conditioners and to schedule energy-heavy activities, such as ironing clothes, at non-peak hours.
Fuentebella said the DOE is coordinating with big energy consumers, like malls and government agencies, to also conserve power.
This is to guarantee sufficient power supply during Malampaya’s maintenance.
He said the agency is also coordinating with geothermal and hydropower plants to increase their power production to address the 2,100-megawatt supply shortfall.
