DOE: More Odette-hit areas to have power by Christmas Day

The Department of Energy (DOE) said Thursday it expects more areas ravaged by Typhoon Odette will have electricity by Christmas Day.

“What we can say right now, 80% na ‘yung na-cover na ng NGCP for their restoration while electric cooperatives have already covered 30% for restoration,” Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said in a virtual press briefing.

“Since marami tayong personnel, we are anticipating by December 25 we will have more areas na mae-energize, lalo na private utilities are helping each other,” Fuentebella added.

NGCP refers to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country's state-owned power grid.

Citing the National Electrification Administration (NEA) power monitoring report as of on December 22, 2021, the DOE said there are seven electric cooperatives (ECs) with total power interruption and thirteen ECs with partial power interruption.

“There are 658 out of 939 (70.1%) municipalities fully restored and 75 (7.9%) partially restored,” according to the DOE.

The following are the affected ECs with 206 municipalities for power restoration:

Total power interruption

Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative I (NORECO I), Bohol Electric Cooperative I (BOHECO I), BOHECO II, Cebu Electric Cooperative III (CEBECO III), Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO), Camiguin Electric Cooperative (CAMELCO), Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative (SURNECO).

Partial power interruption

Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO), Guimaras Electric Cooperative (GUIMELCO), CEBECO II, Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO), Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO), Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative (DORELCO), Leyte Electric Cooperative IV (LEYECO IV), LEYECO V, Misamis Oriental Rural Service Electric Cooperative II (MORESCO II), Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative I (SURSECO I), SURSECO II, Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative.

Damage to ECs

The total estimated damage cost to affected ECs as of December 22, amounted to P1,120,225,992.27.

The following are the ECs that reported damage with their respective costs:

Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO): P11,362,043.27
LEYECO III: P297,428.68
LEYECO IV: PHP 142,907,035.57
LEYECO V: P4,181,563.7
DORELCO: P1,487,722.00
CAPELCO : P2,975,879.15
NONECO: P5,264,616.77
GUIMELCO: P2,620,884.78
BOHECO I: P344,078,405.63
BOHECO II: P93,996,400.00
Biliran Electric Cooperative (BILECO): P343,343.00
NORECO: P62,860,942.62
MORESCO: P503,800.00
SURNECO: P433,795,736.09
SURCECO I: P4,037,835.00
SURCECO II: P9,512,356.00

Transmission lines

The NGCP said the following ECs’ transmission lines have been restored:

Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (NORSAMELCO) – Restored December 19
ESAMELCO – Restored December 20
SAMELCO I – Restored December 19
SAMELCO II – Restored December 19
BILECO – Restored December 19
DORELCO – Restored December 20
LEYECO II – Restored December 19
LEYECO III – Restored December 20
LEYECO V – Restored December 19
LEYECO IV – Partial restoration – full restoration on December 25
SOLECO - Partial restoration – full restoration on December 31
Mactan Electric Company (MECO) – Restored December 19
Visayan Electric Company (VECO) – Restored December 19
CEBECO II – Restored December 19
CEBECO III – Restored December 22
CEBECO I – Partially restored – full restoration on December 26
BOHECO I – Restoration on December 31
BOHECO II – Restoration on December 31
Bohol Light Company (BLCI) – Restoration on December 24
NORECO I – Partial restoration – full restoration on December 31
NORECO II – Partial restoration – full restoration on December 31
Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) – Restored December 17
NONECO – Normal (No facilities affected)
NOCECO – Partial restoration – with right-of-way issue
SURNECO – Partial restoration – full restoration on December 25
Siargao Electric Cooperative (SIARELCO) – Partial restoration – full restoration on December 25
SURSECO II – Partial restoration – full restoration on December 29
ANECO – Restored December 20
ASELCO – Restored December 20

The DOE also reported the status of several power plants in typhoon-hit regions.

REGION 6 (Panay-Negros Occ.)
On-Grid Capacity Available: 203 out of 275.5 MW (74%)
Fully Restored: 4/7 generation facilities

REGION 7 (Negros Or.-Cebu-Bohol)
On-Grid Capacity Available: 71 out of 894.43 MW (8%)
Fully Restored: 1/16 generation facilities

REGION 8 (Leyte-Samar)
On-Grid Capacity Available: 120.5 out of 187.96 MW (64%)
Fully Restored: 1/3 generation facilities

REGION 10 (Northern Mindanao)
On-Grid Capacity Available: 27.6 out of 96.4 MW (29%)
Fully Restored: 2/4 generation facilities

REGION 11 (Davao)
On-Grid Capacity Available: 27.6 out of 96.4 MW (29%)
Fully Restored: 2/4 generation facilities

CARAGA
On-Grid Capacity Available: 0 out of 7.8 MW (0%)
Fully Restored: 0/1 generation facilities

“As per NPC (National Power Corp.) report as of 08:00 p.m. on 22 December 2021, there are 27 diesel power plants (DPPs) with NO OPERATION, four DPPs ON STANDBY and four DPPs/Power Barges ISOLATED from the grid,” the DOE said.

The following are the number of DPPs per province that are without operation/on standby/isolated due to line fault or emergency plant shutdown due to Odette:

Palawan : 14 / 22 DPPs – Plants unoperational due to damaged plant and/or distribution lines
Bohol : 8 / 13 DPPs - Plants unoperational due to damaged plant and/or distribution lines
Guimaras : 1 DPP – Unoperational due to damaged distribution lines
Dinagat : 3 / 3 DPPs - No major damage incurred and plants ready to operate, however, distribution lines in the area are severely damaged
Surigao Del Norte : 1 DPP – Hikdop DPP with damaged plant facilities; limited vessel from Surigao to Hikdop; all distribution lines of SURNECO toppled down.

DPPs/PBs ON STANDBY/ISOLATED

Southern Leyte - 1 DPP
Samar - 2 DPPs and 1 Power Barges
Cebu - 2 DPP, 2 Power Barges

Oil supply

The Energy department also gave a picture on the oil supply in calamity-affected areas.

“As of 20 December 2021, per monitoring of submitted reports of the oil companies, the industry has enough inventory of finished products, including in-transit volume, to cover the fuel requirements in the affected regions: Region IV-B (17 days), Region VI (13 days), Region VII (18 days), Region VIII (18 days), Region X (59 days), Region XIII (13 days),” the DOE said.

“To date, there are 340 closed retail outlets (81% operational) due to power outage, flooding, damages and limited manpower: Region IV-B (24), Region VI (73), Region VII (207), Region VIII (25), Region XIII (11),” it said.

There are two closed depots - one in Bohol and one in Cebu - in Region VII.

The DOE said all LPG refilling plants and import terminals are operational.

Price freeze is in effect on household LPG and kerosene in the following areas declared under State of Calamity —Regions IV-B, VI, VII, VIII, X, XIII.

“The DOE, in coordination with DTI and PNP, are conducting inspection in various liquid fuel retail outlets (LFROs) in affected areas in Cebu and Mindanao to enforce compliance on the Consumer Act of Philippines (RA 7394) and post violation notice on LFROs caught selling overpriced gasoline and diesel,” the agency said.

“In order to address the issues on the transportation of petroleum products in ports, the DOE held a meeting with the Philippine Coast Guard and other port agencies to expedite berthing of logistic vessels carrying petroleum supply in the ports of Cebu and Bohol,” it added.—LDF, GMA News