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Summit presents ways to beat 2015’s energy crisis
ONE of the powerful storms to hit the Philippines, typhoon Glenda [international name Rammasun] shuts down Metro Manila. At least 90 percent of Meralco’s franchise areas experience power cuts brought about by downed poles, lines and outages of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’s (NGCP) transmission lines.
Following this unfortunate calamity, Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla of the Department of Energy (DOE) reports there would be a power crisis in 2015 that will necessitate a declaration of a state of emergency.
According to DOE’s studies, there is a projected deficit of 200 megawatts (MW) in April and May 2015, and that emergency powers would allow the government to contract additional energy through the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM).
Instead of just generating 200 MW, Petilla is recommending additional capacity of 500 MW to provide a buffer in case the projected deficit becomes bigger.
Among the committed power projects for 2015 include the 87-MW Burgos wind farm scheduled to start in February; 150-MW coal plant and 18-MW biomass facility in May; 10.8-MW biomass and 13.2-MW hydropower plant in August; 67.5 MW Pililia Wind in September; and a 100-MW Avion plant in October.
In the midst of this impending energy crisis Engr. Raynor G. Jamandre, Orion Group executive vice president, announced the good news of its partnership with US-based company Urban Green Energy that will provide solar and wind energy in the country at an energy summit on July 28 at the Hotel InterContinental in Makati city.
Jamandre suggested that while there are several government initiatives to address the energy crisis that will transpire in 2015, it is better to be prepared as soon as possible.
Orion group president Rene F. Aguirre agreed that now is the best time to consider the fact that “the sun and wind are clean sources of renewable energy besides traditional oil and coal.”
He concluded, “If all of us (350 summit attendees) will use the sun and wind as sources of power in our businesses, we will reduce the expected shortfall of 200 megawatts by at least 5 percent.”
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