Marinduque faces outages with reduced power supply

SANTA CRUZ, Marinduque, Philippines—Since 2008, candles and improvised kerosene lamps have been selling briskly in this province because of the dwindling and erratic power supply.

Worst, there may no longer be any electricity by the end of the month with fuel as supply coming from the lone diesel-fed power plant could run out by July 27, according to an advisory from the National Power Corp. (Napocor).

For the nth time, Marinduque would be experiencing a power shortage due to inadequate supply of fuel or broken power generating units, or both. Marinduque Electric Cooperative has no other option but to again implement rotating brownouts.

Since Thursday, the six towns of the province have been experiencing 8-hour to 16-hour power outages in a rotating schedule. Some interior villages even have daylong outages.

Nelson Molina, plant superintendent of the Napocor–Boac Diesel Power Plant (DPP) , informed consumers in an advisory dated July 22 that the fuel delivery on Friday of 108,000 liters would last only until July 27 despite the rotational brownout.

Molina said there might not be any extra fuel delivery this month from its supplier and might force the plant to shut down on Wednesday or when fuel is already depleted.

In case of a shutdown, only 1.3 megawatts could be supplied by Power Barge 120 since the other three barges were still under repair, he said.

The demand for electricity is at 6.8 mw, said the Napocor.

Molina did not say how the Boac DPP would ration its remaining supply. Napocor had not given any date as to when the new fuel shipment would arrive.