Earthquake-hit Mindanao plants may affect power supply in Cebu, Visayas

Local

ENERGY officials said the disruption in Mindanao’s power sector brought by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake may limit the electricity being transmitted to Cebu and other parts of the Visayas through the interconnection system linking the two island grids.

“Well, we do recognize that 450 megawatts (MW) is being exported from Mindanao to the Visayas,” Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, June 9.

But Marasigan assured consumers that supply in the Visayas grid remains stable and it will likely operate under normal conditions.

“There is ample transfer, but not necessarily the full 450 MW,” he added.

The Visayas grid remains under strain due to the forced outages of at least four power plants and the high demand of electricity.

Based on earlier reports from the DOE, the grid has already suffered 17 yellow alerts and four red alerts.

Yellow alert means that the grid’s supply can still meet peak demand but its operating margins have thinned. Red alert, on the other hand, signifies that both supply and reserves can no longer meet demand.

Among the facilities impacted were the 300-MW SMC Malita Coal Plant and the 237-MW Sarangani Energy Corporation Coal Plant.

Both plants remained offline as of June 9 while operators conducted inspections and damage assessments.

The earthquake also affected parts of the transmission network, including the Matanao–General Santos 138-kilovolt transmission line and equipment at the General Santos substation, slowing efforts to fully restore power services in affected areas.

The DOE said restoration activities are ongoing across Mindanao, with priority being given to hospitals, evacuation centers, water facilities, communication systems, and other critical infrastructure.(RBE)