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Damaged power plants, transmission lines plague PHL in Glenda aftermath
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(Updated 2:13 p.m.) Power generation and transmission problems are hounding many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila and nearby provinces, the Department of Energy and distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said Thursday. Supply remains unstable, they said, and may take at least another 48 hours to fully restore electricity to the Luzon franchise area.
While most of Metro Manila got power restored within 24 hours, vast areas of southern Luzon outside the Meralco franchise are facing an extended period of darkness and inability to use smartphones as telecommunication companies are unable to power on their cell sites.
The demand is 2,800 megawatts, and "the supply is short... Kaya tayo may rotating brownouts muna," Rolly Cagampan, head of Meralco Energy Sourcing Office, told reporters at a briefing in Quezon City on Wednesday.
At the same press conference, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) – the company responsible for conveying electricity from power plants to distributors like Meralco – has yet to restore about 55 percent of the Luzon grid's capacity.
Typhoon Glenda raked through Luzon on Wednesday, cutting a northwest swathe of rain and strong winds from Bicol, toppling electric poles and disabling transmission lines.
Quezon, Batangas, Albay
In an interview on GMA News TV's "News To Go," Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said 99.98 percent of Meralco's franchise area in Quezon province remains without power.
On the other hand, 97 percent of consumers in Batangas, 66 percent in Cavite, and 66 percent in Laguna are out of power, he added.
Another report on News To Go noted Albay province remains without power – affecting businesses in the area.
A number of power plants that supply the Luzon grid remain offline as of this posting.
Until the issues hounding the supply and transmission of electricity have been fully resolved, outages will continue to plague the 5.189 million Meralco customers in the Luzon franchise area, Cagampan said.
Three-hour rotating brownouts have been enforced starting 7:30 a.m. Thursday, and will continue to be in place until the generation and transmission of electricity have stabilized.
"Kapag online na ang affected plants, wala ng rotating brownouts," Cagampan said.
Power plants
Petilla noted the Ilijan power plant is expected to go online at 4 p.m. Thursday, after the Dasmariñas Ilijan line has been energized earlier at 9:15 a.m.
Petilla noted the Ilijan power plant is expected to go online at 4 p.m. Thursday, after the Dasmariñas Ilijan line has been energized earlier at 9:15 a.m.
The Quezon Power Limited is expected to start feeding the grid with electricity only Friday morning.
“While the plant is not damaged, they reported that they have problems in their internal transmission towers, but that is going to be fixed today, and they will come online tomorrow morning,” Petilla said.
The Pagbilao Power Station and the Calaca power plant are expected to go online within 24 hours, he added.
The Sta. Rita and San Lorezo “... plants are not damaged, there was flooding... They should be up and running Saturday.”
“The distribution lines may be okay but the supply may not come because southern plants cannot bring power to Metro Manila,” he noted.
Power supply
As of 7 a.m. Thursday, power was restored to 84 percent of Metro Manila, Petilla said, adding that “more or less 100 percent of the power supply will be returned tomorrow.”
On the other hand, by 10 p.m. Friday, 96 percent of the power supply of consumers in Cavite will be restored, the Energy chief noted.
For the Bicol Region and Quezon province, however, only 10 percent to 50 percent of power supply will be made available by July 19. – VS/TJD/KG, GMA News
