Davao Light reduces brownouts to one hour

DAVAO CITY, Dec 8 (PIA) The Davao Light and Power Company mulls of imposing an hour-power interruption as the power supply in Mindanao remains to be tight.

Ross Luga, chief of the communications division of the DLPC said rotating brownout will continue to be imposed this time reducing it to one hour after one of its power sources, the coal-fired Therma-South resumed operations 12:11 am December 7.

He said the DLPC monitors the situation every hour.

“We see the continuous rotating power interruption for one hour during peak and off-peak periods,” Luga said.

He urged all consumers to cooperate in conserving electricity since the DLPC could hardly ascertain the time the power generation returns to normal.

The DLPC had been implementing rotating brownouts due to the reduced supply coming from the National Power Corporation following the toppling of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ power lines in the Lanao provinces and the structure No.  50 in Barangay Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte where a snake was electrocuted.

Last week, the emergency shutdown of the coal-fired power plant, Therma South Incorporated and the 80 megawatt deficiency in the Mindanao Grid since December 3, prompted the DLPC to impose two to three hours of power interruption in the cities of Davao, Panabo and the towns of Braulio Dujali and Sto. Tomas, in Davao del Norte.

Luga revealed that the DLPC has a peak requirement at 355MW on a daily.

He said the National Power Corporation (NPC) can only give 186 MW during peak hours and 108 MW during off-peak hours.  (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)