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The Visayas power grid was placed under a Red Alert anew on Wednesday after a transmission line tripped and a major power plant shut down, reversing earlier optimism that the region’s electricity supply had stabilized following weeks of recurring shortages.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) declared the Red Alert from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Yellow Alerts in effect from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Available capacity fell to 2,397 megawatts (MW), below the projected peak demand of 2,492 MW, leaving the system without enough reserves to meet demand and increasing the risk of rotational power interruptions.
Power System Breakdown
NGCP said the latest supply shortfall stemmed from the tripping of the Iloilo-Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) 138-kilovolt Line 3, which isolated PEDC’s Unit 3, as well as the emergency shutdown of Palm Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC) due to a suspected boiler tube leak.
The grid operator also reported that generating capacity remains heavily constrained by prolonged outages across several plants. Ten facilities have been on forced outage since July, while other plants have remained offline since previous months. In addition, several generating units continue to operate at reduced capacities, further tightening the supply available to the grid.
A Red Alert is issued when available power is insufficient to meet consumer demand and maintain the transmission system’s required operating reserves, often resulting in rotational brownouts if supply conditions worsen.
Recovery Interrupted
The renewed alert came just days after the Department of Energy (DOE) expressed confidence that electricity supply conditions in the Visayas were improving.
Earlier this week, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the return to service of PEDC Unit 3 had restored 150 MW of generating capacity and was expected to ease recurring supply warnings that had affected the region since May.
“This ends nearly two months of recurring supply warnings that began in May and reflects a welcome improvement in the region’s operating reserves, reducing the risk of rotating power interruptions,” Garin said.
The latest transmission and generation problems, however, interrupted that expected recovery and underscored the fragility of the region’s power supply despite recent improvements.
Separately, the DOE has begun issuing show-cause orders to several power plant operators following unscheduled outages. The department clarified that the orders do not constitute findings of liability but were issued because the affected companies failed to submit required annual self-assessment forms within the prescribed deadline.
Long-Term Supply Challenges Remain
Beyond the immediate outages, the recurring power alerts highlight structural issues facing the Visayas grid.
The region has long depended on electricity imports from Luzon and Mindanao to supplement its own generating capacity. Existing transmission links allow Luzon to export up to 250 MW to the Visayas, while Mindanao can provide as much as 450 MW when system conditions permit.
However, energy observers have noted that this arrangement leaves the Visayas vulnerable whenever neighboring grids experience disruptions. Recent events, including outages in Mindanao following a major earthquake and previous damage to submarine transmission cables connecting islands in the Visayas, have demonstrated the limitations of relying heavily on imported electricity.
Industry data also show that while renewable energy continues to expand in the region, conventional baseload plants have generally maintained higher availability and capacity factors, helping provide more consistent supply during periods of elevated demand. At the same time, government efforts to diversify the energy mix and strengthen transmission infrastructure remain central to improving long-term grid reliability.
The latest Red Alert serves as another reminder that while short-term operational improvements are important, expanding dependable generation capacity and reinforcing critical transmission infrastructure will be essential to reducing recurring power supply warnings across the Visayas.
Source:
https://manilastandard.net/business/314763123/visayas-grid-placed-on-red-alert.html
https://opinion.inquirer.net/192970/the-critical-deficit-of-baseload-power-in-visayas