Ensure power supply to protect Covid-19 vax

POWER SUPPLY  should be ensured in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine facilities to avoid spoiled doses, the Department of Energy (DOE) said.   

During the Laging Handa public briefing Wednesday, DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the department is monitoring the distribution utilities to make sure these are securing power supply for cold storage facilities of Covid-19 vaccines.

“In this time of Covid-19, we need to monitor the refrigeration, the storage of our vaccine. (So) we are monitoring the distribution utilities if they are focusing and protecting (the areas) where the vaccines are,” Fuentebella said in Filipino.

Starting Monday, a red alert was raised over the Luzon grid due to insufficient power supply.

“The insufficient supply that resulted in the power outages in the last three days was caused by the unplanned or forced outages of the following generation plants that are owned by the private sector,” DOE said citing GMEC Coal-Fired Power Plant Units 1 and 2, Calaca Coal-Fired Power Plant Unit 2, Pagbilao Coal-Fired Power Plant Unit 2, and Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant Unit 2.

The red alert status is raised over the grid when power reserves fell below 4 percent of the peak demand. This will cause rotational brownouts.

Aside from the 4 percent of the peak demand regulating reserve, the system should have a contingency reserve equivalent to 4 percent of the peak demand plus the capacity of the largest power plant in the system as well as a dispatchable reserve of 4 percent of the peak demand plus the capacity of the second-largest power plant in the system.

These ancillary service capacities shall be contracted by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

Insufficient reserves

DOE data show that as of the fourth quarter of 2020, NGCP only contracted 237 megawatts of the required 491 MW regulating reserve, or equivalent to 48 percent of the requirement; 180 MW, or 28 percent of the required 647 MW contingency reserve; and 145 MW, or 22 percent of the 647 MW dispatchable reserve requirement.

These are all firm ancillary service capacities.

“The backup from NGCP is still not there. What they have contracted is insufficient despite the DOE issued a Department Circular two years ago, in 2019, which until now they still haven't been able to contract or they failed to comply,” Fuentebella said.

He added that the DOE would look into the criminal liabilities of stakeholders that contributed to the current problem of power supply in Luzon.

He said the DOE had issued a circular that prohibits preventive maintenance of power plants, except for hydropower plants, during the second quarter of the year to ensure an adequate supply of power.

“Whether all these were violated or complied with, we are gathering pieces of evidence because what does the Department of Energy want? Is it a penalty? No, we want compliance,” Fuentebella said. (Kris Crismundo)