The House Committee on Energy on Tuesday approved House Resolution 21, granting President Aquino emergency powers to address the projected power deficit next year.
With a vote of 18-1-1, the panel, chaired by Liberal Party Rep. Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro, immediately approved the joint resolution that would mainly use the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) in addressing the projected power shortage in 2015.
Besides the ILP, the resolution said additional generating capacity shall be sourced from the fast- tracking of new committed projects; plants for interconnection and rehabilitation; and adoption and execution of energy-efficiency and -conservation measures shall be pursued vigorously in both public and private sectors.
Although it was not included in the resolution, Umali, also the co-chairman of the Joint Congressional Power Commission, assured the public that there will be no passed on costs to consumers in using the ILP.
“The intent is there will be no pass on to consumers, the intention is not to burden the public with additional cost [of electricity] through the joint resolution,” Umali said, saying President Aquino is not opposing the idea of tapping Malampaya funds as subsidy.
“In the course of congressional hearings conducted, it was revealed that, in week 14 [April] of 2015, a maximum projected shortfall of 1,004 megawatts (MW), of which 600 MW is needed to meet the required dispatchable reserve, and 404 MW is needed to meet the required contingency reserve. Corollary, a total of four weeks of yellow alert is projected for the critical period,” the resolution said.
The resolution was principally authored by Umali, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II.
Sucat plant partial reactivation
The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) may consider the restoration of some units of the decommissioned 850-megawatt (MW) Sucat thermal power plant.
According to PSALM President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr., his office has received proposals to rehabilitate some of the four units of the power facility.
“As to the power-plant itself, we are currently evaluating proposals to rehab some units of the plant,” he said in a text message.
The oil-fired power plant in Sucat, Muntinlupa City, was previously owned by the Manila Electric Co., and later acquired by the National Power Corp. in November 1978. It is consisted of Unit 1, which has a rated capacity of 150 MW; Units 2 and 3, each with 200 MW; and Unit 4, which is rated at 300 MW.
STX Marine gets contract for Malaya rehab
Ledesma also said PSALM has awarded to Korean firm STX Marine Service Co. Ltd. the contract to overhaul the first unit of the Malaya thermal power plant.
Under the terms of reference, work must be completed within 90 days from issuance of the Notice to Proceed, he added.
Once Malaya1 is rehabilitated, the entire Malaya facility can run at its full capacity of 650 MW.
The government wants the rehabilitation of the Malaya Unit 1 done before summer of next year to make it available in time for the 2015 Malampaya shutdown.
The Malampaya facility will go offline from March 15 to April 14, 2015 to commence Phase 3 of the Malampaya project, involving the installation of a platform aimed at maintaining the fuel supply to power plants providing half of Luzon’s power needs.
The Malaya power facility is consisted of a 300-MW unit with a once-through, type boiler and a 350-MW unit fitted with a conventional boiler. It was rehabilitated in 1995 by the Korea Electric Power Corp. under a 15-year rehabilitate-operate-manage-maintain agreement.
STX Marine also recently won a one-year contract to operate and maintain the two units of the Malaya thermal power plant.
Under the terms of reference, work must be completed within 90 days from issuance of the Notice to Proceed, he added.
Once Malaya1 is rehabilitated, the entire Malaya facility can run at its full capacity of 650 MW.
The government wants the rehabilitation of the Malaya Unit 1 done before summer of next year to make it available in time for the 2015 Malampaya shutdown.
(Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz & Lenie Lectura)
