BUTUAN CITY – Is Mindanao seeing light at the end of the tunnel?

It is very possible after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said the power supply situation in Mindanao started to improve Friday.

The latest power situation was an improvement from the previous supply deficits, which exceeded 700 megawatt (mW) over the last few weeks.

In their update advisory, the NGCP said the water elevation in Pulangi River in Mindanao improved to 284.4 meters.

NGCP’s advisory, however, said Mindanao grid will still continue to experience generation deficiency of 580 mW.

This is attributed mainly to limited available capacities from the grid's main power sources – National Power Corporation's Agus hydro power plants whose reservoirs are drying up due to El Nino phenomenon.

“The higher elevation of the Pulangi River in Maramag, Bukidnon was due to the accumulation of water in the evening. The estimated maximum elevation of Pulangi River is at 285.5 meters,” NGCP’s advisory said.

Despite this, the 33 electric cooperatives spread all over Mindanao still suffer rotation power curtailment.

The minimal improvement in the Mindanao supply situation can also be attributed to the relatively lower peak demand on Friday, which reached 1,310 MW as against the available capacity of 775 mW.

NGCP will continue to monitor power grid conditions, the advisory added.

Independent power producer Steag State Power, Inc. (Steag), meanwhile, will temporarily shut down its plant on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday for repair of one of its generators, it was gathered.

Engineers and Technical men of Steag said the maintenance is necessary for Steag’s operations but the temporary shutdown would mean that the Mindanao grid would lose some 200 megawatts on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

The power demand in Mindanao would not be that high on those days given that companies and establishments would be closed.

The 210 mW Steag plant would resume operations after those mentioned days, it was further gathered Steag is almost reaching its full capacity to cope with the power shortage brought about by the power-generation deficit of the Pulangi and Agus systems.

Under normal circumstances, Steag contributes only 20 percent to Mindanao’s electric supply but since the hydroelectric plants have not been delivering the normal load due to the El Niño, the coal-fired power plant is forced to increase its generation to 30 percent.

As this developed, North Cotabato Rep. Bernardo Piñol Jr. warned government against putting up a nuclear power facility in the region to permanently address its electricity requirements. Piñol Jr. said the uncertain peace and order problem in Mindanao makes it a poor choice for nuclear facility.

Appearing at the Usaping Balita News Forum ON Thursday, Piñol admitted having supported the proposal to activate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which is being espoused by Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco.

“By opening the BNPP facility, we expect government to pursue other power generation facilities in Mindanao that would rely on our natural resources. New energy infrastructures in Mindanao, except for nuclear plant, is welcome and must be immediately carried out,” he said.

Piñol, a former journalist, said he expects the National Power Corporation (Napocor) to reduce brownouts in his province from the usually 10 hours to two or three hours soon.

“What we asked Napocor was to increase the power allocation for the North Cotabato Electric Cooperative in order to reduce the brownout schedule to only two to three hours,” Piñol told reporters.

The lawmaker said North Cotabato produces 52 megawatt of electricity but requires only 35 megawatts for its needs.

“The pending court case involving Napocor and the province can be settled if we get our just share of energy,” he explained.

He said the Napocor and North Cotabato are currently locked in a legal controversy involving the former’s alleged failure to hold on to provisions of a memorandum of agreement over a power deal.

“Can you imagine living in a place plagued with 10 hour brownouts. Naaawa ako sa mga tao (I pity the people),” Pinol said.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has warned of severe job losses as a result of the crippling power shortage in Mindanao, which has been hit by daily rotating brownouts lasting eight to 10 hours.

“Industries reeling from recurring brownouts there are already aggressively carrying out coping strategies that include fewer work shifts and the rotation of workers,” said TUCP secretary-general and former Senator Ernesto Herrera.

Among the power-intensive industries being hit hard by the brownouts are steel and cement manufacturing, canning, commercial fishing (particularly cold storage), mining and quarrying, food processing, telecommunications, and retail trade, Herrera said.

“Mindanao risks not just temporary but long term economic losses. We're afraid Mindanao's ability to draw incremental foreign and local investments, and create badly needed new jobs, could be impaired if the power shortage there is not fixed right away,” Herrera said.