Government targets 50-50 energy mix in Mindanao by 2018

DAVAO CITY, Jan 29 (PIA) The government is hard-pressed in looking for available power sources that can be tapped altogether to address the shortfall in the electricity in Mindanao and eventually install long term capacities.

Romeo Montenegro, communications director of the Mindanao Development Authority said brownouts must be addressed on a long term.

He said Mindanao must have a sustaining supply of electricity with the combination of mixed technology both renewable energy and fossil fuel like coal.

San Miguel Corporation constructs currently a 600 megawatt-coal fired power plant in Davao del Sur.

The 105 megawatt-coal fired power plant in Maasim, Sarangani might be operational also early this year.

The first solar power plant in Barangay Centrala in Surallah, South Cotabato was inaugurated recently.

“We are not just looking at addressing the brownouts.  We want also to see whether these brownouts will not occur three to five years from now. So that if we project ten to 15 years, we will able to have reliable supply with a combination of mixed technologies,” Montenegro said.

He said the current supply gap in Mindanao at 500 to 600 megawatts will be covered once the coal-fired power plants under construction go on line by June, 2016.

Montenegro said the shortage might be covered already by this year.

He said by 2017, Mindanao will eventually have regulating energy reserve.

“The entry of all other plants in 2017 and 2018 will give comfort and confidence that our demand is being addressed more than adequately already with the supply of electricity available at that time,” he said.

Montenegro stressed that over the long term, the government maintains an ideal diversified energy mix in Mindanao which is 50 percent fossil and 50 percent renewable energy.  (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)