NGCP on yellow alert as 2 Lanao Sur hydropower plants remain cut off from grid

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) declared on Sunday a “yellow alert” as two state-owned hydropower plants in Lanao del Sur remained cut off from the Mindanao grid.

In a statement, Melfrance Capulong of the NGCP Southern Mindanao, said Agus 1 and Agus 2 hydropower plants have remained disconnected to the grid as repair works have been hampered by the refusal of landowner to allow entry of field personnel to work on the bombed steel tower in Lanao del Sur.

The generation plants, with a combined maximum capacity of 150 MW, are disconnected from the grid due to the bombing of Tower #25 along Agus 2 – Kibawe 138KV line in Ramain, Lanao del Sur, on Christmas Eve.

“The owner refused the NGCP entry to repair the toppled tower alleging that government failed to pay his claims long ago,” Capulong added. She did not name the lot owner.

She said despite lower power consumption brought about by the cold weather and yearend holidays, NGCP still placed the Mindanao grid on “yellow alert,” with the reserves falling below required levels.
She said the NGCP expected the supply situation to worsen come January 4 when classes and work resume.

NGCP is reiterating its appeal to the public, local and national government, the police and military to help monitor the safety of the towers so that transmission services remain uninterrupted.

The company also appeals to local community leaders to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions.

Mindanao’s power outlook for Sunday showed the grid had 107-MW reserve power while on Monday, when classes and office and industrial works resume, NGPC expects a power reserve of only 24 MW.

For January 3, NGCP said the Mindanao had 1,417-megawatt available capacity, with peak demand at 1,310 MW, and gross reserve at 107 MW.

For January 4, the available capacity is 1,459 MW, with a projected peak demand of 1,435 MW.  SFM