Given the immediate population expansion and increased investment following the Covid-19 pandemic, Cebu wants to push the plants even further, National Grid Corp (NGCP) officials said.
This includes strengthening the province’s existing electric power capacity, expanding energy reserves and facilitating the expansion of businesses and investments in the province.
On Dec. 18, the Visayas grid only had 240 megawatts (MW) of power reserves, the lowest compared to those of Luzon and Mindanao.
Visayas’ available generation capacity is 2,449 MW and the peak demand for the formula is 2,209 MW.
During the Power 101 forum hosted by NGCP on Dec. 12, 2023, NGCP assistant vice president and head for public affairs, lawyer Cynthia Perez-Alabanza, said that as power consumption increases with the full re-opening of the economy, Cebu needs additional capacity.
“Not even the pandemic, when everything came to a screeching halt, electricity consumption decreased. Today, with the full reopening of the economy, we are witnessing a really significant increase in electricity needs,” said Alabanza.
Cebu, according to the NGCP, accounts for part of the Visayas’ electricity demand. Cebu City, especially the Visayan Electric franchise, consumes some of the province’s demand.
“That’s how huge Cebu’s request is,” Alabanza said, adding that this is why the 52 billion peso Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) is being transferred to Cebu.
“When it comes to energy consumption in Visayas, all roads lead to Cebu,” he added.
Abner Bardoquillo, NGCP’s senior director of network operations for Visayas system operations, said Cebu needs to have more plants inland to reduce its dependence on electric power from neighboring islands.
Alabanza said while the MVIP allows power sharing between Mindanao and the Visayas, this shouldn’t be relied on for everyday consumption.
“The interconnection exists to ensure the stability of the grid in the event of an emergency,” he said. “The Visayas don’t depend on what they can borrow from other islands. “
In May 2023, the Visayas grid experienced its demand for electric power, reaching a peak of 2,450 megawatts. The NGCP also forecasts a peak in demand in December.
In a separate interview, Felix Taguiam, former president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that if Cebu managed to become self-sufficient in power generation, it could finally solve the problem of Cebu’s need for electricity.
The Ministry of Energy and the NGCP have already cited Cebu as the most sensible site for significant generation capacity additions, such as power plants capable of generating electric power consistently and frequently on a giant scale.
No Network Alerts
Meanwhile, as the holidays approach, NGCP forecasts a strong energy outlook in the coming months.
“That’s what we’re seeing right now. There are no deficiencies in the coming months. Neither red nor yellow,” Alabanza said.
But that could simply replace if transmission disruptions occur and force plants into unplanned shutdowns.
“In the past, we have observed multiple power plants going into emergency shutdown simultaneously. If there are sufficient number of plants on emergency shutdown, it may impact the overall balance. This occurrence has occurred several times in the past,” she said.
“But as of the moment, we do not see any grid alerts to issue in the next months.”
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