WESM Visayas return online after ERC order

BY LENIE LECTURA – JANUARY 19, 2022
from Business Mirror

THE Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in Visayas has resumed operations after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) lifted the suspension order it earlier imposed on the Philippine Electricity Market Corp.–Market Operator (PEMC-MO).

“We have issued the ‘Notice of Market Resumption’ to the Philippine Electricity Market Corp.-Market Operator (PEMC-MO), and they were directed to advise the trading participants and the National Grid Corp.-Visayas System Operator (NGCP-VSO) of the said resumption,” ERC Chairman and CEO Agnes VST Devanadera said.

The operations of the WESM in the Visayas grid, excluding Bohol, took effect last January 17.

“We have been closely monitoring and assessing the Visayas grid condition and upon assessment of the information gathered from the constant coordination with PEMC-MO and with the NGCP-VSO, the Commission views that market operations in the Visayas grid, except Bohol are now ready to resume,” Devanadera said.

It may be recalled that the ERC suspended the operations of the WESM in the Visayas grid last December 16. The suspension was necessitated by the power system disturbance due to the impact of “Typhoon Odette,” causing the breach of Section 1.B, Article II of the ERC Resolution 12, Series of 2018, indicating over-generation.

Meanwhile, Section 1.B, Article IV of the ERC Resolution provides that if there is improvement in the loading level for 24 consecutive hours, in relation to the conditions for market suspension, market operations can resume.

Based on ERC’s monitoring and coordination with PEMC-MO and NGCP-VSO, loading level in Visayas outside Bohol has improved starting January 10. In addition to this, with the energization of the 138KV Colon-Calung-calung Line 2 and the 138KV Colon-Cebu Line 3, it has been assessed that market-based instructions in the area are implementable signaling the readiness to resume market operations in Visayas, excluding Bohol.

However, Bohol continues to be disconnected from the rest of the grid and it may experience possible generation deficiency since generation from other regions cannot be exported to the island. Thus, market suspension in that area remains in effect.