NGCP raises yellow alert on Luzon grid anew

The Luzon grid was placed under yellow alert anew on Friday due to thinning reserves due to the unplanned shutdown of some power plants.

In its advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said the alert stays in place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is the fifth straight yellow alert status that was raised on the grid this month.

The alert was triggered by insufficient operating reserves when the following plants with a total capacity of 1,042 megawatts went on an unplanned shutdown, according to Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola:

• Malaya 2 (350 megawatts)
• Pagbilao 3 (420 MW)
• SLTEC 1 (135 MW)
• Makban 7 (20 MW)

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• Tiwi 6 (57 MW)
• Tiwi 1 (60 MW)

Meanwhile, Calaca 1 (300 MW), Pagbilao 1 (382 MW), and San Roque 2 (145 MW) were on a scheduled shutdown.

A yellow alert is raised when reserve power drops below the required level.

The Luzon grid's available capacity is 11,292 MW against an expected peak demand of 10,097 MW.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines also defines yellow alert as a condition in which the reserves are less than the capacity of the biggest plant online, which is 647 megawatts for Luzon.

The alert, however, does not necessarily mean that power outages will ensue.

The Department of Energy has earlier assured that the power supply is sufficient and there will be no interruptions expected despite the series of yellow alerts this summer season. — MDM, GMA News