Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12) — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is now working to get more power plants on board after declaring a red alert status on Monday.
“As of this afternoon, meron tayong nabilang na around 13 power plants that were either on unplanned maintenance shutdown, o yung biglaang tumirik at nawala sa grid, or nagbaba ng kanilang produksyon ng kuryente, o yung tinatawag na derated capacities po ang nilalabas nila,” NGCP assistant vice president and spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza told CNN Philippines on Monday.
[Translation: As of this afternoon, we counted around 13 power plants that were on unplanned maintenance shutdown, had stalled and gotten off the grid, or had derated capacities.]
She added that these resulted in the loss of 4,500 megawatts of power from the transmission grid.
“Kaya po tayo napilitan maghayag ng red alert until 8 p.m. initially for today,” Alabanza told News Night in a phone interview.
She added that as of now several power plants are back on the grid, though at derated capacity.
[Translation: That’s why we were forced to declare a red alert until 8 p.m. initially for today.]
The agency earlier placed the entire Luzon grid under red alert before easing into yellow alert at 4 p.m.
By 8 p.m., NGCP has also lifted the yellow alert status.
“As of 8:01 p.m., yellow alert for the Luzon grid has been lifted by NGCP due to receding system demand,” it said in a post on Facebook.
Alabanza said they were working with power plants to get them back online.
Alabanza said they have always stressed that power supply problems cannot be resolved in just one area of the supply chain.
“We need more capacity in the grid so we will not feel yung mga ganitong biglaang pagtirik. Power plants…makina yan. They are subject to maintenance activities and they will break down occasionally. It’s a fact and hindi mo talaga maiiwasan,” said Alabanza.
[Translation: We need more capacity in the grid so we will not feel unexpected stalls like these. Power plants are machines. They are subject to maintenance activities and they will break down occasionally. It’s a fact and it is unavoidable.]
She added that more sources of power are needed, not just backups.
