Tight power supply paves way for 2nd power plant in Sual town

SUAL, Pangasinan – Prospects for the construction of a second coal-fired power plant here are getting brighter given the tight energy supply situation the country is experiencing.

The possibility of the project becoming a reality is further enhanced by results of previous public hearings which saw that an “overwhelming majority” of Sual residents were in favor of the second power plant.

Those who support the project stressed the need to construct additional sources of energy to avert a looming power crisis.

They noted the recent pronouncements of the National Electrification Administration advising Filipinos to brace for rotating brownouts in the coming months “because of low power supply.”

Power Shortage in the Philippines.

NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said one-hour power interruptions might be experienced between April and May.

Already, power interruptions are occurring almost daily in many parts of Pangasinan.

But the projected power shortage may ease if big events will be canceled because of the CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Pero kung by summer, April or May, ma-mitigate na ‘yung krisis na hinaharap tungkol sa Covid-19, baka kailangan talaga na maghanda sa possible na shortage ng power (If by April or May the crisis has been mitigated, then we will have to prepare for a power shortage),” Masongsong told reporters.

Citing estimates from the Department of Energy, the NEA administrator said red alerts might be raised from April 18 to 21 and May 20 to 22. He noted that an additional capacity of 256 to 821 megawatts would be needed in Luzon to avoid the declaration of Red and Yellow Alerts in the region.

A Red Alert is hoisted when there is zero ancillary service or a generation deficiency exists, while Yellow Alert is declared when the reserve power is lower than the capacity of the biggest plant.

In a move to alleviate this situation, the NEA advised all 121 electric cooperatives in Luzon and the Visayas to prepare their contingency plans to mitigate the impact of potential power supply deficits in their respective areas.

Second power plant

Many Sual residents shared the view that construction of more coal-fired power plants is the most effective way of providing cheaper electricity and preventing another power crisis.

Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO Philippines) is keen on putting up a 1,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Sual that would cost about two billion US dollars.

This town already hosts Team Energy’s 1,218-MW Sual power station, the country’s biggest coal-fired power plant ,located in Barangay Pangascasan, Sual ,which began operating in 1999.

KEPCO assured residents that there would be no problem concerning pollution because the latest coal technology will be used, which is the so-called ultra-super critical coal coal technology which at present is considered as a “High Efficiency Low Emission (HELE) Technology” or “green technology”.

Aside from providing thousands of jobs for Sual residents, the project will also contribute to the revenues of the province and the municipality estimated roughly at P800 million annually.