NGCP investigates power outages on Panay Island

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Saturday said it is looking into what caused the power outages that affected provinces on Panay Island.

“At 8:54 a.m., NGCP monitored a disturbance. Multiple power plants in Panay disengaged from the transmission system,” the grid operator said in an advisory.

Provinces within the Panay Island are Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Antique.

“Parts of the franchise areas of AKELCO (Aklan Electric Cooperative), CAPELCO (Capiz Electric Cooperative), ANTECO (Antique Electric Cooperative), MORE Power, ILECO (Iloilo Electric Cooperative) I, ILECO II, and ILECO III lost power,” the NGCP said.

The grid operator said it is investigating the root cause of the system disturbance.

“We are cognizant of the suffering the recent spate of power interruptions have wrought on the consumers and businesses in the provinces and cities of Panay Island.

NGCP is "determining the root cause of these trippings to provide a universal solution to restore and stabilize the power supply chain,” it said.

“While we have assessed our system for possible malfunctions, and confirmed that our protocols are working as intended, we are also exploring the possibility that adjustments need to be made along the supply chain to stabilize power in Panay,” the NGCP added.

Moreover, it said it is working with its counterparts in the generation and distribution sectors to implement the needed adjustments on its respective protection settings, and resolve the issue soonest.

“We will continue to provide updates to our stakeholders and to the public as they come in,” the NGCP said. —LBG, GMA Integrated News