Power distribution reliability in the province of Masbate is expected to improve once the 15 megawatt (MW) coal-fired plant begins its commercial operations next month, the Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MASELCO) said.
MASELCO Project Supervisor and Acting General Manager Romeo Acuesta disclosed that the Masbate diesel power plant of the DMCI Masbate Power Corp. (DMPC) in the Municipality of Mobo is set for commissioning in December this year.
The projects will ensure a more reliable power distribution service in the province by December.
Acuesta said the construction of two units of 5 MVA power substations in Cataingan and Aroroy are also in progress. The commissioning date of the Aroroy substation is scheduled within the month, while testing of the Cataingan substation is undergoing.
In addition, the National Power Corp. (NPC) is currently testing its 69 kV subtransmission lines, and uprating its existing 10 MVA power substation to 20 MVA to augment the present capacity and the power quality in Masbate.
The NPC is the grid owner and transmission service provider for MASELCO while DMPC is the electric cooperative’s (EC) lone power supplier.
Acuesta said the projects will ensure a more reliable power distribution service in the province by December.
However, Acuesta expressed concern that the Masbate Diesel Power Plant is not enough to meet the energy demand of the province, which is presently at 22 MW compared to the coal plant’s installed capacity of 15 MW.
“The cooperative should review the contract to address the capacity problem.”
To address this, the National Electrification Administration (NEA), through its Regulatory Affairs Office, is reviewing the EC’s existing power supply with DMCI and its Power Supply Procurement Plan to determine the needed additional capacity to meet the present and future demands.
“The 15 MW coal-fired power plant cannot accommodate the present demand of MASELCO. That is why the cooperative should review the contract to address the capacity problem,” said Engr. Reynaldo Cuevas, Jr., acting department manager of the NEA Management and Consultancy Services Office (MCSO).
DMPC currently operates a bunker/diesel-fired plant in the Municipality of Mobo and satellite diesel generation sets to cater the power needs of the towns of Aroroy, Balud, Cataingan, and Cawayan in Masbate.
To recall, the NEA, which has supervisory powers over 121 ECs nationwide, took over the operations and management of MASELCO in 2017 due to the latter’s failure to settle its overdue obligations with DMPC.