NGCP securing more power reserves for Visayas

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is intensifying efforts to secure additional power reserves and resolve electricity supply constraints in the Visayas.

In a statement issued yesterday, the NGCP said it continues to pursue additional ancillary service procurement agreements (ASPAs) in line with directives of the Department of Energy (DOE).

The NGCP procures and deploys ancillary services or backup power to protect the grid from sudden disruptions and help prevent blackouts, particularly when power demand spikes unexpectedly.

These reserves are especially critical in the Visayas, where several major coal-fired plants are simultaneously experiencing forced outages.

But the grid operator said that ASPAs could be completed for facilities that are not yet operational or whose technical capability to provide the required services has yet to be determined.

“There is no intention to delay the execution of these contracts. Execution timelines are driven by availability and technical compliance by suppliers,” the NGCP said.

The grid operator issued the statement after the DOE blamed delays in securing ASPAs to address recent yellow and red alerts in the Visayas, which triggered rotational blackouts across several areas.                        –