Metro Manila may experience three-hour brownouts

Daily brownouts lasting up to three hours in some parts of Metro Manila may be experienced in the next five days, energy officials said Monday. Expected to take place anytime between 10 AM to 10 PM, the power outages are a result of problems with two major power plants, Dina Lomotan, a spokesperson for Meralco, said in an interview on dzBB radio. Among the affected areas include Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Parañaque, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Pateros and Taguig, a separate Balitanghali report on Monday said.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) advised Meralco of problems at the Masinloc and Sual power plants only on Sunday night, Lomotan added. The NGCP runs the country’s power grid, transmitting electricity from power plants to utilities such as Meralco. Based on the data given by NGCP, Meralco was forced to devise a timetable of rotating brownouts. “Kagabi raw nakabigay sila ng advice. Medyo late nagkaroon ng pasabi... Ang Meralco maghahanda ng schedule na tutugma, we go on a per-hour basis," she said. (Meralco got the advisory only on Sunday night. The company will prepare a schedule on a per-hour basis.) The last scheduled brownouts on a given day will take place from eight to 10 in the evening, Joe Zaldiarraga, Meralco’s corporate communications officer, said in an interview on Balitanghali, citing a tentative schedule. Meralco will cut power to some of its service areas depending on the amount of electricity supply. Asked when operations will return to normal, Zaldiarraga said they will take it on a day to day basis. “By tomorrow siguro, more or less mamayang gabi meron na tayong forecast kung ano ang mgiging sitwasyon," he said. (The company will be able to give a forecast about the power situation by tomorrow or later tonight.) Meralco's service area includes 9,337 square km covering 25 cities and 82 towns including Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite; parts of the provinces of Laguna, Quezon and Batangas; and 17 villages in Pampanga. In the meantime, Jesusito Sulit, senior adviser to the president at NGCP, said the problems with the Sual and Masinloc power plants may mean the brownouts can last for at least five days. "Ang balita namin aabutin ng limang araw bago ibalik yan, yan ang worst case scenario (It may take up to five days before the plants are returned online)," he said in a separate interview on dzBB. He said there will be a 70-30 sharing of the brownouts with 70 percent in Metro Manila and 30 percent in the rest of Luzon. Sulit said that while Visayas and Mindanao will not be directly affected, Visayas may not be able to get the electricity dispatched by the Luzon grid for now. Meanwhile, External Affairs Head of Team Energy Greggy Romualdez said on Balitanghali that the problem was caused by a tube leak. The problem is not serious, he said, though it will take a few days to fix. “Di naman po malala ito, it will take a few days, Nagsimula po mag out kagabi, siguro sa lalong madaling panahon ginagawa natin ng paraan para ma resolve ito," he said. (It’s not serious although it may take a few days to fix. It began last night and we are doing everything to resolve the problem.) Romualdez assured the public that the repairs are being made continuously, adding that the problems are unrelated to the El Nino crisis, since as a clean coal power plant, they do not rely on water. However, the official was unable to give a definite schedule, though he hoped it would not be long. Ivan Mayrina reporting from the Batasan Pambansa said that the Department of Energy assured that the power supply would return to normal in five days in Luzon and Visayas. According to the House Energy Committee, there is a 478 megawatt power shortage in Luzon, a 40 megawatt shortage in Visayas, and a 350 megawatt shortage in Mindanao, where hydroplants are unable to produce enough electricity due to the El Niño. The Department of Energy said there will be no more brownouts, as long as there would be no more “unplanned breakdowns," however there is no assurance since the power plants are old. They also recommended that the President invoke emergency powers under which she can call a joint congress to authorize the establishment of an additional generating capacity. - Carmela Lapeña, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV