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The Visayas power grid remained under pressure at the start of August after forced outages at several major power plants prompted a yellow alert and heightened concerns over the region’s fragile electricity supply, prompting authorities to implement emergency measures to stabilize the system.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said the Visayas remains vulnerable to recurring yellow alerts this month as several generating facilities continue to suffer unplanned outages or operate below full capacity.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, Aug. 3, DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said the latest yellow alert was triggered by the unexpected shutdown of major coal-fired power plants in Cebu.
“Kaya naka-yellow alert tayo today, is because of those unplanned power outages just the other day,” Marasigan said.
The DOE confirmed that Toledo Power Corporation experienced a forced outage after its generating unit tripped on Aug. 1. The plant is expected to resume operations by Aug. 6.
Meanwhile, Unit 1 of Cebu Energy Development Corporation (CEDC) was taken offline earlier than planned for preventive maintenance.
Grid Capacity Remains Limited
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) initially placed the Visayas grid under a yellow alert from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday after available capacity dropped to 2,478 megawatts (MW), barely exceeding the projected peak demand of 2,327 MW by a margin of 151 MW.
A yellow alert is declared when the operating reserve falls below the required contingency level, although it does not automatically result in power interruptions.
Later in the day, NGCP extended the yellow alert by another hour until 9 p.m. following another forced outage involving Cebu Private Power Corporation (CPPC) Unit 10 and a reduction in output from the Leyte A Geothermal Power Plant.
CPPC Unit 10, which has a capacity of about 6.3 MW, went offline, while Leyte A’s output declined from around 328 MW to 312 MW. As a result, available capacity fell further to approximately 2,462 MW against an updated peak demand forecast of 2,262 MW.
NGCP identified several major generating units contributing to the constrained supply, including Therma Visayas Inc. Units 1 and 2, Kepco SPC Power Corp. Unit 1, and CEDC Unit 1.
Long-Standing Outages
The latest disruptions add to an ongoing supply problem that has persisted across the Visayas in recent years.
According to data cited by the DOE and NGCP, 26 power plants in the region have remained offline since 2021 due to forced outages. Another 16 generating units continue to operate at derated, or reduced, capacities.
Combined, these unavailable and partially operating facilities have removed about 1,055.8 MW from the Visayas grid, significantly limiting the region’s available generating capacity and increasing its vulnerability during periods of high electricity demand.
The prolonged outages have repeatedly tightened reserve margins, leaving the grid more susceptible to supply shortages whenever additional power plants experience unexpected shutdowns.
Stabilization Measures
Despite the continuing supply constraints, the DOE said several interventions are being implemented to strengthen grid reliability and prevent a possible system collapse.
Marasigan said the agency is maintaining power imports from both Luzon and Mindanao to help support the Visayas grid while additional battery energy storage systems (BESS) are being prepared for deployment.
Around 50 MW of BESS capacity intended for the Visayas is currently undergoing testing and commissioning, while another 50-MW power barge is scheduled to be transferred to Cebu to provide additional generating capacity.
The DOE has also instructed NGCP to directly negotiate and contract ancillary services in the Visayas to improve grid stability and provide additional operating reserves.
Meanwhile, NGCP said the Luzon grid remained under normal operating conditions despite the effects of Tropical Depression Luis. The grid operator said contingency measures had been activated, including prepositioning repair crews and ensuring the availability of communication equipment and critical materials needed for immediate restoration should transmission facilities sustain storm-related damage.
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