Red alert up on Visayas grid, brownouts expected in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines – More areas in Metro Cebu were added to Wednesday’s rotational brownout schedule after the Visayas grid was placed under its first red alert in August.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) raised a red alert—meaning both power supply and operating reserves can no longer meet demand—after two transmission lines tripped, isolating two generating units of Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC).

NGCP also extended the yellow alert until 11 p.m.

In response, power distributors, including those in Cebu, began implementing manual load-dropping schemes, including rotational brownouts, to prevent a grid collapse.

READ MORE: Visayas grid under yellow alert for third straight day in August

In Metro Cebu, rotational brownouts are scheduled in one-hour intervals from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., affecting portions of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, Talisay City, the City of Naga, and San Fernando.

According to Visayan Electric, areas added to the 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. schedule include portions of Carreta, North Reclamation Area, Tejero, Budlaan, Busay, Talamban, Banilad, Sambag, Capitol Site, Cogon Ramos, and several barangays in the City of Naga and San Fernando.

From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., outages are expected in portions of Kasambagan, Mabolo, Guadalupe, Labangon, Lahug, Apas, and Busay, as well as several barangays in Mandaue City, including Subangdaku, Tipolo, Guizo, Opao, and Umapad.

The 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. schedule covers parts of Apas, Lahug, Luz, Punta Princesa, Pardo, Basak, Buhisan, and San Roque in Cebu City, as well as portions of Liloan and Mandaue City.

Meanwhile, areas in Consolacion, Liloan, Minglanilla, and Talisay City, along with portions of Calamba, Labangon, Punta Princesa, and Tisa in Cebu City, are scheduled for outages from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, total available supply in the Visayas grid had dropped to 2,261 megawatts (MW), against a peak demand of 2,319 MW.

The Visayas grid has remained vulnerable in recent months due to a series of forced outages and derated power plants, leaving electricity reserves thin during periods of high demand.

READ MORE: Possible August power bill hike looms as spot market prices remain high

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