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Cebu is increasingly being tapped to help meet the baseload power requirements of Negros and Bohol, raising concerns that the two provinces’ restrictions on coal-fired and diesel power plants are adding pressure to an already strained Visayas grid.
The Cebu Energy Rights Advocates (CERA) is urging local leaders in Negros and Bohol to review their respective bans, saying the policies have contributed to the provinces’ dependence on electricity generated elsewhere, particularly when intermittent renewable sources cannot meet demand.
“Demand for power is shared by one Visayas grid. Therefore, the responsibility for the burden of baseload supply must also be shared,” CERA convenor Nathaniel Chua said.
The provincial boards of Negros Oriental, Bohol and Negros Occidental enacted ordinances in 2018 and 2019 prohibiting the construction of coal-fired and diesel power plants within their jurisdictions.
CERA said the restrictions are becoming more consequential as electricity demand rises across the region. While renewable energy capacity has expanded, much of the additional generation in Negros comes from solar facilities, which cannot provide dependable supply during peak evening hours.
Supply Shortage
Negros, for instance, has more than 950 megawatts (MW) of total installed capacity, according to CERA. However, only around 240 MW is baseload capacity from the Palinpinon geothermal plants, compared with peak demand of roughly 450 MW.
This leaves the island dependent on electricity imported through the interconnected grid, particularly during periods when solar generation declines.
Bohol has an even wider supply gap. Its peak demand has exceeded 100 MW, while dependable in-island capacity is estimated at only 26 MW to 30 MW.
CERA said the shortfalls in Negros and Bohol are being supplied largely by coal-fired power plants in Cebu and Panay and geothermal facilities in Leyte.
Cebu, however, is facing its own tightening supply situation. The province’s peak demand has already exceeded 1,000 MW, while in-island generation capacity stands at around 700 MW.
Chua said the imbalance means Cebu and Panay are being asked to provide power not only for their own growing economies but also for neighboring provinces that have limited local baseload generation.
“Cebu and Panay are being forced to consider building even more coal plants just to support their own demand but also the demand of the region. Cebuanos are shouldering the environmental and infrastructure burden for islands that refuse to generate their own baseload power,” he said.
Panay’s peak demand is projected to reach about 600 MW later this year, compared with dependable in-island supply of around 500 MW, according to CERA. New coal-fired power projects are in the pipeline in both Cebu and Panay as the two areas prepare for higher electricity requirements.
Leyte and Samar are currently providing an important buffer for the region. The island group remains the only net electricity exporter among the Visayan island groups, with around 700 MW of supply, mostly from geothermal facilities, against peak demand of about 310 MW.
That surplus, however, may narrow as economic activity and electricity consumption increase in Leyte and Samar.
“With Leyte and Samar’s economy expected to grow at a fast pace, they are expected to keep more and more of its geothermal energy to feed its own needs. Unless Palinpinon in Negros expands, our next best solution is to build coal power plants for our baseload needs for the medium term,” Chua said.
Unsustainable Dependence
Transmission constraints add another layer of risk. The Visayas is connected to Luzon and Mindanao through submarine transmission links, but CERA said the limited capacity of these connections restricts the amount of electricity that can be imported from the two larger grids.
The same concern applies to submarine transmission facilities linking individual Visayan islands. Power deficits in one area can therefore place additional demands on transmission infrastructure serving the interconnected system.
The Visayas has an overall peak demand of about 2,400 MW, according to CERA.
Chua warned that continued reliance on imported baseload power without adequate local 24-hour generation could further strain inter-island transmission facilities and increase the risk of widespread power shortages.
The issue highlights a growing challenge for the region as electricity demand expands alongside economic activity. Renewable generation can increase the Visayas’ overall installed capacity, but CERA said the region must also ensure that sufficient dependable generation is available during periods of high demand.
For Chua, the existing arrangement means the consequences of local restrictions on conventional generation are no longer confined to individual provinces. With the islands operating as one interconnected grid, supply decisions in one province can affect generation requirements and transmission conditions elsewhere.
Source:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/amp/story/cebu/group-urges-visayas-lgus-to-review-bans-on-coal