Lesser power outages in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Power outages in Metro Cebu have been minimized with the completion of the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) owned substation in the CEMEX’s APO Cement Corporation compound in Naga, Cebu, coupled with the implementation of the Interruptible Load Program (ILP).

VECO yesterday announced that from almost daily “brownouts” experienced by power users within VECO’s franchise area, now subscribers only experienced minimal outages.

VECO recorded a mere five interruptions caused by the insufficient power supply, compared to almost daily “brownout” in the last few months.

During peak hours, where power consumption is at its highest, the substation in

CEMEX’s can deliver 10MW (MegaWatts) from a bunker fuel plant in the APO compound to the VECO system.

“The much needed additional power supply saves customers from inconvenient power shortages,” said VECO executive vice president and chief operating officer Jimmy Aboitiz .

Aboitiz said that consumers can benefit from the new substation as it helps lessen power shortages within the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) Grid. Aboitiz adds that the CEMEX project is “... a milestone—a first in the history of VECO.”

The single biggest customer of VECO, CEMEX is in a unique position in that it both buys and sells power. With an initial load of 13MW delivered to CEMEX Philippines (through its APO Cement Corporation) last December 3, 2009. It helps provide reliable and efficient electricity to its residential, commercial and industrial clients.

The CEMEX Substation is the first VECO-owned substation that directly synchronizes with a generating plant. It employs unique switching equipment on its feeders for easy load transfer from VECO to APO Power Plants, and vice versa. It functions as both a distribution substation and a transmission substation.

It also involves the jointing of new and old switch gears and the utilizing of a 69kV grounding transformer.

CEMEX, considered as one of the leading cement producers in the country, has a total peak demand of 40 MW. The second largest electric utility in the Philippines, VECO serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Naga and four municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu - Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanillla and San Fernando.

Meanwhile, on VECO’s ILP, there are a total of 21 companies now involved in helping Cebu avoid power shortage.

The ILP is one of the measures conceptualized by VECO to address the power shortage.

During power shortages, VECO's large customers are to de-load from VECO's system and have the option to run their own generators or simply stop their operations.

This will reduce the shortage and minimize, if not prevent rotating brown outs. These large customers are partially compensated for the cost of de-loading from VECO's system.