The Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ORMECO) is ramping up efforts to address the power supply problems within its coverage area, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
ORMECO Project Supervisor and Acting General Manager Norberto Mendoza acknowledged that the rotational power interruptions implemented under its service area in the past weeks were due to supply shortage.
In a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE), ORMECO explained that it is not receiving enough power supply from its independent power producers to meet the present demand of the province due to the expiration of its existing contracts with Mindoro Grid Corp. (MGC) and the retiring generation units of Global Business Holdings, Inc. (GBH).
ORMECO reported that it is now in the process of conducting a competitive selection process (CSP) for the 30 MW power procurement.
The power coop said the GBH has not been operating since March this year, saying its power generating sets, with a combined capacity of 5 MW, are “undergoing major overhaul” and expected to be operational on October 31, 2020.
It also noted that the two generating units of Power One Corp. (POC) are unavailable, while the power station of MGC in Roxas is only generating 3.2 MW of power.
ORMECO also mentioned that its mini-hydro power plants and wind power plants, which have a total contracted capacity of 13.1 MW and 6.0 MW, respectively, only produce a combined 8.6 MW as of date.
To lessen the impact of these problems, ORMECO, in coordination with the local government unit and its new power providers, conducted an emergency power procurement of 10 MW net delivered energy in February.
POC also installed 6-MW modular operating units in Bansud as replacement to its undelivered power. These have been operational since April.
The Mindoro Harvest Energy Co. Inc., on the other hand, committed to provide 4-MW modular generating sets in Calapan to replace the inoperational power plant of GBH, which is expected to be operational by May 15, 2020.
In addition, DMCI Power Corp. committed to add 4 MW to its existing 15 MW contracted capacity. This was expected to be operational in the first week of May.
“This additional power supply will be sufficient to meet the power demand,” ORMECO Project Supervisor and Acting General Manager Mendoza said.
ORMECO also reported that it is now in the process of conducting a competitive selection process (CSP) for the 30 MW power procurement. The electric coop expects the CSP to be completed within the year, and the power plant to be operational next year.
Meanwhile, NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong advised ORMECO to maximize existing capacity available, as well as implement special interruptible load program to help mitigate its supply deficiency.