Energy dep't monitoring hydro plants as El Niño looms

The Energy department is closely monitoring the country's hydroelectric power plants, particularly those in Mindanao, to ensure reliable power supply amidst the threat of a prolonged dry spell due to El Niño. "Hydropower plants will have to be monitored. We have to see to it that they are operating and that they are delivering the right amount of power given the constraint imposed on the amount of water that will be available to them," Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes told a press briefing. Reyes was reacting to reports that some parts of Mindanao, where most of the big hydroelectric facilities are located, have been experiencing brownouts. The government has privatized 12 hydropower plants. Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the Agus complex will be put on the auction block next year, or a decade since the industry was deregulated. The National Power Corp. (Napocor) is running the Agus 1-6 hydro power complex in Mindanao, but Unit 4 is presently down. Agus has a total capacity of over 700 megawatts (MW) or about half of the 1,500-MW dependable capacity of the entire Mindanao island. The Energy department said Mindanao's power situation is vulnerable to water availability since half of the requirement of the grid is supplied by hydro plants. Mindanao suffered rotating brownouts when most of its power plants were shut down for various reasons last September 2009. "We have to make sure that these power plants are being run efficiently. Its operator should not be profit-hungry. We should take into consideration the public interest," Reyes said. Reyes admitted that the use of water in power generation is the least of the government's priorities. Reyes has called for a meeting with representatives of the power industry on February 4 to discuss measures to avert a power crisis during the summer season, when some plants are due for maintenance. It was learned that the Malampaya natural gas plant in Northwest Palawan is planning to shut down its operation for maintenance starting February 10. The maintenance will reportedly last up to 30 days, which can affect three natural gas-fired power plants- San Lorenzo, Santa Rita and Ilijan, which have a total capacity of 2,700 megawatts. — GMANews.TV