Growth to raise demand for power

by Alena Mae S. Flores – December 06, 2016 at 08:40 pm

from Manila Standard Today

The Philippines will need additional power capacity of 17,338 megawatts by 2030 as energy demand is expected to continue to grow driven by projections of an eight percent annual growth rate in the gross domestic product.

“Based on available current capacity of 13,877 megawatts, an 8 percent annual GDP growth rate and 1.5 percent population growth, our power demand will continue with its upward trend as we aggressively move towards industrialization and urbanization,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi told participants of an energy forum.

Cusi said the Luzon grid would need 10,070 MW of additional capacity—4,320 MW from baseload, 4,800 MW from mid-merit and 950 MW from peaking plants.

The Visayas grid will require 3,618 MW of additional capacity with 1,968 MW to be provided by baseload, 1,500 MW by mid-merit and 150 MW by peaking plants.

Mindanao, meanwhile, will still need 3,650 MW in additional capacity from 2,100 MW baseload, 1,500 MW mid-merit and 50 MW peaking plants.

“To support these additional capacity requirement, I have directed National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to expedite the implementation of the Transmission Development Plan,” Cusi said.

He said the plan would include the completion of the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection “to finally achieve our vision of a national grid.”

“It has taken long already. It cannot be further delayed. They should fasttrack that. This is for the country. What we want is before this administration ends, they complete that,” Cusi said.

He added the Energy Department was also reviewing National Grid’s concession agreement to ensure its compliance.

Cusi said the Energy Department had asked National Grid to look into its circuit breakers to avoid brownouts in the future.

“That is being looked at, we asked them to look at it to avoid reoccurrence,” he said.