PH power consumption down in 2020

By Jordeene B. Lagare – May 3, 2021
from The Manila Times

ELECTRICITY consumption across the Philippines dropped by 4.04 percent in the past year, data from the Department of Energy (DoE) showed.

In its 2020 Power Statistics report released over the weekend, the DoE said power consumption stood at 101,756 gigawattt hours (GWh) in 2020 from 106,041 GWh a year ago.

The residential sector took the lion’s share with 34,292 GWh, an increase from last year’s 30,552 GWh.

However, electricity consumption of the industrial sector declined to 25,566 GWh from 28,194 while the commercial sector’s consumption decreased to 20,727 GWh from 25,476 GWh.

In terms of gross power generation, the Luzon grid produced 72,419 GWh of electricity during the same period. It was lower than the 76,177 GWh of electricity generated in 2019.

The Visayas and Mindanao grids, meanwhile, generated 15,485 GWh and 13,852 GWh, respectively, of electricity.

In terms of installed capacity, coal remains the country’s primary source of energy last year at 10,944 megawatts (MW), equivalent to 41.7-percent share in the energy mix.

Renewable energy plants came in second at 7,617 MW, equivalent to a 29-percent share.

Oil-based plants and natural gas plants chalked in 4,237 MW and 3,453 MW of capacity, respectively.

The Energy department previously expected 2020 power demand and supply to remain at the same level as in the past year on the back of the coronavirus lockdowns imposed to stem the transmission of the virus.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi had said last year it was “very difficult” to determine whether or not electricity and fuel demand will return to the 2019 levels.

But he said higher domestic consumption is expected once the economy reopens.