NGCP: Parts of Luzon, Visayas may experience power interruptions

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced possible power service interruptions in several parts of Luzon and Visayas on Thursday afternoon.

In an advisory, the NGCP said it may implement manual load dropping (MLD) in the following areas from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on May 23, 2024:

• NUVELCO (parts of Nueva Vizcaya)
• IFELCO (parts of Ifugao)
• CENPELCO (parts of Pangasinan)
• PENELCO (parts of Bataan)
• TARELCO II (parts of Tarlac)
• BATELEC II (part of Lipa City)
• SORECO 1 &II (parts of Sorsogon)
• ALECO (parts of Albay)

The grid operator updated its advisory as the MLD expected to be implemented in the same areas was extended to 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The NGCP, in an update, announced the following additional areas will experience MLD from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.:

• ISECO (parts of Ilocos Sur)
• ISELCO I (parts of Isabela)
• QUIRELCO (entire province of Quirino)
• PELCO I (parts of Pampanga)
• PELCO II (parts of Pampanga)
• ZAMECO II (parts of Zambales)
• BATELEC I (parts of Batangas)
• CANORECO (parts of Camarines Norte)

Manual load dropping or rotational brownout is conducted during red alert to limit demand when generation is insufficient.

The NGCP said the MLD will be implemented to “maintain the integrity of the power system.”

“Schedule may be cancelled if system condition improves, such as if actual demand falls below projections,” the grid operator said.

“NGCP encourages everyone to exercise prudence in using electricity,” it said.

In its grid alert status report as of 9 a.m., May 24, the NGCP said the Luzon grid will alternately be on red and yellow alert on the following schedules:

Red alert

1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Yellow alert

12 nn. - 1 p.m.

5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

10 p.m. - 12 midnight. (May 24)

The alert status was issued as the Luzon grid has an available capacity of 13,531 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 13,597MW.

A red alert status is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

The NGCP said three plants in Luzon have been on forced outage since 2023, four between January and March 2024, and 11 power plants between April and May 2024; while three are running on derated capacities, “for a total of 2,525.5MW unavailable to the grid.”

Red, yellow alerts in Visayas

Meanwhile, several areas in the Visayas may also experience power interruptions on Thursday afternoon amid red and yellow alerts raised on the grid due to thin power reserves.

The NGCP said that it may implement manual load dropping in the following areas from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2024:

• CENECO (parts of Negros Occidental
• NOCECO (parts of Negros Occidental)
• NONECO (parts of Negros Occidental)
• NORECO I (parts of Negros Oriental)
• NORECO II (parts of Negros Occidental
• LEYECO II (parts of Leyte)
• SOLECO (Southern Leyte)
• DORELCO (parts of Leyte)
• LEYECO III (parts of Leyte)
• LEYECO IV (parts of Leyte)
• LEYECO V (parts of Leyte)
• BILECO (Biliran)
• ESAMELCO (Eastern Samar)
• SAMELCO I (parts of Samar)
• SAMELCO II (parts of Samar)
• NORSAMELCO (Northern Samar)
• MORE (parts of Iloilo City)
• AKELCO (parts of Aklan)
• ANTECO (parts of Antique)
• CAPELCO (parts of Capiz)
• ILECO II (parts of Iloilo Province)
• ILECO III (parts of Iloilo Province)
• GUIMELCO (parts of Guimaras)
• MECO (Parts of Mactan Island)               
• CEBECO 2 (Parts of Cebu)
• VECO (Parts of Cebu City and Cebu)
• CEBECO 3 (Parts of Cebu)
• CEBECO 1 (Parts of Cebu)

The grid operator said it might implement MLD on the Visayas grid to "maintain the integrity of the power system."

"Schedule may be canceled if system condition improves, such as if actual demand falls below projections," the NGCP said.

"NGCP encourages everyone to exercise prudence in using electricity," it added.

The NGCP placed the Visayas grid under red alert from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and under yellow alert from 12 nn to 1 p.m., 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 12 midnight (May 24).

The Visayas grid has an available capacity of 2,588 MW against a peak demand of 2,537 MW.

"One plant has been on forced outage since 2022, two since 2023, two between January and March 2024, and 16 power plants between April and May 2024; while three are running on derated capacities," the NGCP said. —VAL/RSJ/VDV, GMA Integrated News