Gensanportal - Mindanao News Blog

General Santos City and the whole of Soccsksargen plus Davao and a host of other places in Mindanao have been suffering from a series of unscheduled power outages lately.

At one point, I could count a number of 3-4 brownouts during the 8-hour period in my office which causes a lot of strain on our computers. I am just waiting for the time when my mini-Mac conks out due to this.

Anyway, below is the Press Release emailed to me by Ms. Belinda Canlas of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (formerly Transco, which used to be the Napocor), explaining their side on these irritating occurences and detailing the two (2) reasons why they have been happening.

Here goes their press release on the Mindanao-wide brownouts….. Highlighted contents are mine.

PRESS RELEASE from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines

March 23, 2009. General Santos City

All power customers served by NGCP-District 6 are experiencing rotational brownouts since March 16, 2009 due to a constrained power transmission network leading to southwestern Mindanao. A supply route, the Kibawe-Davao 138 kilovolt line no. 1 is out since 8:30 in the evening last Friday, March 20 when eight light-weight structures in Balintawak, Kibawe, Bukidnon, toppled due to strong winds and heavy rains, aggravating the situation.

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Mindanao head Emmanuel Abellanosa said the parallel supply line to southwestern Mindanao, the Kibawe-Davao line no. 2 is being used currently to feed power to the whole of Southern Mindanao. The combined load of line nos. 1 and 2 is presently absorbed and carried by one line (line no. 2) which could not transport the whole load requirement. To prevent overloading which would affect the entire power system, the NGCP resorted to load-shedding.

Another double-circuit line, the Kabacan-Nuling 138 KV line and Kabacan-Tacurong 138 KV line, is undergoing repairs, specifically on tower 142 at Malabuaya, Kabacan, North Cotabato which was bombed last March 16, 2009.

The two recent incidents have reduced the capacity of the supply network going to General Santos, Sarangani, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, and Cotabato City. As a result, Abellanosa said, NGCP’s Southwestern Mindanao District (District 6) is being given 30 megawatt less its usual power supply. This will remain so until the completion of the repair of the Kibawe-Davao line no. 1 targeted within this week.

The area control center of District 6 is closely coordinating with NGCP’s customers in the implementation of the curtailment scheme. Abellanosa clarified though that NGCP only gives power utilities their corresponding load limits under the curtailment scheme, while the latter decide which feeders to drop at planned periods. The cooperation of power customers is very crucial at this time so implementation can proceed smoothly, Abellanosa said.

Abellanosa further said they are exerting all efforts to finish the repairs as early as possible to normalize the power situation in Southern Mindanao.

The NGCP is appealing for public understanding on the temporary abnormal power situation.

###

(Original Signed)
MANUEL A. HAMOY, JR.
Department Manager, District 6
NGCP

So there. As of this writing, we will still be suffering from these brownouts and until when these will stop…. only God knows.

These Mindanao-wide browouts are brought to you by the renegade forces of the MILF and by Mother Nature herself.

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• nature