Yellow alert raised on Luzon power grid

A YELLOW alert notice was raised over the Luzon grid Thursday due to insufficient operating power reserves.

This is the first yellow alert for the year. A yellow alert is issued when operating reserves have dropped below the required 647-megawatt contingency in Luzon, or equivalent to the largest unit in Luzon, which is the 647-MW coal-fired power plant in Sual, Pangasinan.

The Luzon grid experienced thin power reserves from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., stripping it off with 3,083 MW.

Three reasons were cited for the issuance of the yellow alert: forced power plant outage, de-rated power plant capacity and limited capacity due to line constraints brought about by the effects of the Taal eruption.

Sual plant (647 MW) and Tiwi 5 geothermal facility (57 MW) went on forced outage.

Meanwhile, the following de-rated plants are Calaca, which was supposed to deliver 300 MW but only produced 234 MW; Sem Calaca Power Corp. (SCPC)2  (150 MW) at 140 MW; Kalayaan (720 MW) at 360 MW; and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. or SLPGC 2 (150 MW) at 145 MW.

The power plants that are on limited capacities due to line constraints are San Buenaventura, Quezon Power and Pagbilao (2336 MW) at 838 MW and Ilijan (1200 MW) at 760 MW. The total limitation of these plants stood at 1938 MW.

The Manila Electric Co. has already notified 138 of its ILP (Interruptible Load Program) participants, contributing 543 MW, to be prepared. If need be, they will have to turn their power generators on whenever the power supply is constricted instead of drawing power from the grid. Thus, power supply that will not be consumed by participating customers will be available for use by other customers within Meralco’s franchise area.