Visayas grid on yellow alert anew

MANILA, Philippines — Residents in the Visayas faced another yellow alert yesterday as power supply strain persisted for the fifth consecutive day.

The alert was hoisted from 3 to 4 p.m. and from 5 to 9 p.m., according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

NGCP data showed that nearly 900 megawatts (MW) of capacity were unavailable after 23 power plants went on forced outage and 12 others operated at a reduced output.

Peak demand in the Visayas reached 2,485 MW, while available capacity stood at 2,653 MW.

In just 11 days, 10 yellow alerts have been hoisted in the region due to the continued unavailability of three large coal-fired power plants and sustained high electricity demand.

Local advocacy group Sanlakas Cebu described the “breakdown-prone” coal-powered plants in the Visayas as a “direct threat” to the country’s energy security.

“It is ironic that while fossil fuel companies profit from an ongoing oil crisis, their own infrastructure cannot even stay running when Filipinos need power the most,” Sanlakas Cebu secretary-general Teody Navea said.

The Philippines has one of the most coal-dependent power grids in Southeast Asia, with coal accounting for over 60 percent of its power mix.

Last week, Luzon and the Visayas were placed under red alert for three consecutive days, which triggered rotational brownouts lasting two to three hours.