Engr. Darwin Galang, senior science research specialist of DOE-Mindanao Field Office, assured the RDRRMC XII that Mindanao is secure in terms of power supply until 2025. (Photo by Danilo Doguiles/PIA Region 12)
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) — The Department of Energy (DOE) has confirmed that the power supply in the Mindanao Grid is adequate for the remainder of the year until 2025.
“For the rest of the year, wala po tayong tinitingnan na (we are not looking at) yellow or red alerts,” said Engr. Darwin Galang, senior science research specialist of the DOE-Mindanao Field Office, during the recent meeting of the Rehabilitation and Recovery Cluster of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Soccsksargen.
When the power supply is lower than usual due to thinning reserves, DOE issues a yellow alert, signaling that the operating margin is too narrow to adequately cover a grid’s contingency needs.
On the other hand, DOE issues a red alert in more severe cases, such as when the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand or a grid’s operational requirements.
From January 1 to September 8 this year, Mindanao recorded an average actual gross reserve of 938 megawatts (MW), based on an average available capacity of 3,167 MW and an average actual system demand of 2,229 MW, according to Galang.
The reserve outlook for the island in 2025 is also stable based on DOE’s projected reserve profile.
Meanwhile, DOE conveyed that 30 private sector-initiated energy generation projects across Mindanao are already in the advanced stages of development.
When completed, these committed projects, which include 1 coal, 2 oil-based, and 18 renewable energy power plants, should produce an additional 618 MW of power.
“Should these projects be realized, these capacities will be added to the Mindanao Grid from 2024 to 2033,” Galang said. (PIA Region 12)