NGCP places Mindanao grid on red alert as power deficiency deteriorates

COTABATO CITY -- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Wednesday placed the Mindanao grid on red alert status as power deficiency has worsened.In a statement, Melfrance Capulong, speaking for NGCP-Southern Mindanao, said NGCP was forced to raise the alert level, scheduled from from 9and00 a.m. to 10and00 p.m. Wednesday, after the contingency reserves hit zero megawatt due to the isolation of NAPOCOR owned generating facilities Agus 1 and 2 hydro power plants, according to Melfrance Capulong of NGCP-Southern Mindanao.Agus 1 and 2 hydro power plants facilities are connected to the grid through Agus 2-Kibawe 138kV line.Capulong said NGCP has yet to restore bombed NGCP Tower #25 along Agus 2- Kibawe 138KV line in Ramain, Lanao del Sur which was toppled on Christmas Eve by unidentified men.Attempts to repair failed, she said, due to uncooperative land owners. The line has been unserviceable since Christmas Eve when it was bombed by unidentified lawless elements,” Capulong said.She said the owners of the property where the tower was located, Mr. Johnny Sambitori, Mr. Intan Sambitori and Mr. Naguib Sambitori, refused to allow entry for NGCP technical men to repair the damaged transmission facility.Negotiations with the Sambitoris were unsuccessful because the owners alleged that the government failed to pay their claims long ago, Capulong said. Mindanao is facing a possible grid collapse if the situation persists since there is only one line remaining to deliver power from the Agus Hydro Complex, the Maramag-Bunawan 138-kV line,” Capulong said. If the said line is in any way compromised, no power will flow from the remaining Agus hydro facilites to south of Mindanao where the bulk of power demand is located,” she said, adding it created an imbalance between North and South portions of Mindanao. The resulting imbalance between the North and South portions of Mindanao may cause the system to collapse. Both Davao City and General Santos City are located in the south, and are in real danger of being completely cut off from the bulk supply coming from the hydro facilites,” she said.Capulong reiterated her appeal to the public, local and national government, police and military authorities to help monitor the safety of the towers so that transmission services remain uninterrupted.The power distributor also appealed to local community leaders to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions.Earlier, the Armed Forces of the Philippines vowed to secure NGCP steel towers in areas where lawless elements operate, specifically North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.