CEBU - The Cebu power problem is for real. The power supply shortage situation of the island continues to be critical and is expected to worsen if no power plants will be put up and if people will continue to oppose the construction of new ones.
“Cebu power supply is very critical. I hope people who oppose the construction of new power plants should think twice as to which is most costly — the cost of having no power against what they are opposing to,” said Dennis Gana, spokesperson of the National Power Corporation.
Gana said that yesterday’s power demand for Cebu is much less lower than its dependable capacity.
He said that for the morning peak (1:00 am to 8:00am), the power demand for Cebu is 480 megawatts and the dependable capacity is only 211 megawatts.
Between 2pm to 6pm the demand reached 471 megawatts while the dependable capacity is only 225 megawatts.
For the evening peak (6 pm to 12 midnight), the total demand is 505 megawatts against the dependable capacity of 225 megawatts.
Gana said that this is the usual demand and dependable capacity from Monday to Friday, which goes down by only 50 megawatts during Saturdays and Sundays.
“Matagal nang may problema sa power supply ang Cebu. Kung may malaking power plant diyan na mag trip-off or masira, talagang blackout ang Cebu,” Gana told The Freeman.
Currently the Cebu Power Thermal Plant I is producing 30 megawatts although it has a dependable capacity of 48 megawatts while the CPTP II with a capacity of 55 megawatts is not running due to some technical problems.
Aside from these power plants, other plants that are supplying the Visayas grid are also supplying way below their dependable capacity as some of it are currently undergoing repair and maintenance.
To compensate the much needed power for Cebu, a total of 360 megawatts from the Leyte-Cebu submarine cable is needed to meet Cebu’s total demand.
“Our power reserve is very thin,” said Gana.
Cebu’s power reserve yesterday for the morning peak was six megawatts, for the afternoon peak, it was only 37 megawatts and there was a deficit of negative five megawatts for the evening peak.
The ideal power reserve for Cebu is between 60 to 70 megawatts.
Benjamin Ypil, spokesperson of the National Transmission Commission said that Cebu is on “red alert” in terms of power reserve.
Gana added that the on-going construction of the Korean Electric Cooperative- Salcon Power Corporation in Naga, Cebu, which was supposed to put up its plant in the province of Iloilo, will not still answer the increasing power demand for Cebu.
Kepco-Salcon’s P15 billion worth coal-fired power plant is expected to generate about 200 megawatts of power and it will be operational in 2011.
Gana however said that the government will not allow a worst power scenario as they are doing its best to entice more investors to the power industry.
“We are now making a move in making the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid as an investment site,” Gana said.
Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, Napocor is prohibited from entering into new power supply contracts.—/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)