Bohol will have enough power supply for the Christmas season, except for circumstances beyond the control of the power distribution utilities.
Engr. Eulogio Signe, general manager of the Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) which is one of the three power distribution utilities in the province, yesterday assured that they have standby team to respond to emergencies to ensure continuous power supply.
Signe also assured that power supply will not be a problem on Christmas and New Year holidays.
He said there is enough supply as there is no problem in the power plants in Visayas.
In case of line congestion, Bohol has inland local power sources which have a total capacity of 20 megawatts (MW) where 16MW comes from the Bohol Diesel Power Plant of Salcon Power Corp. (SPC) in Dampas, Tagbilaran City and 4 MW from hydropower plants.
The hydro power plant includes those in Hanopol, Sevilla, and Loboc.
Sta. Clara Power Corp.’s Loboc Hydroelectric Power Plant in Loboc contributes 1.2 MW
Signe also said the Power Barge 104 of Salcon Power Corp. (SPC) , docked at the Tapal Wharf in Ubay, can supply 28 MW.
Signe said Bohol has enough power supply in case of line congestion, except if isolated when shortage is inevitable.
He also said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the distribution utilities (DUs) have prepared for the Christmas holidays.
Bohol’s power supply requirement now reached 100 MW where 13 MW is for Panglao Island- -10 MW for Panglao town and 3 MW for Dauis town.
Tagbilaran City, the service area of BLCI, has power requirement of 29 MW.
During cold season like December, it is lower at 27 MW, Signe said.
The higher requirement is in summer season.
As to the update on the One Bohol Power concept of the Bohol Energy Development Advisory Group (BEDAG), Signe said BLCI had already submitted the terms of reference to open the bidding and is just waiting for the notice from the Department of Energy (DOE).
The terms of reference includes the No-to-Coal principle consistent with the Bohol’s No-Coal stand.
In meetings of BEDAG, the bids and awards committee is always represented so that One Bohol Power would really push through.
BEDAG espouses a joint undertaking by the three DUs- -BLCI, Bohol Electric Cooperatives (BOHECO I and II)- -called One Bohol Power.
Gov. Arthur Yap earlier said the baseload facility targets a generation capacity of not less than 50 megawatts, “which is already more than half of the province’s current peak demand.”
Yap had also said that the One Bohol Power contract will be awarded in May 2020, with the project expected to be completed by 2023 just in time the contracts of the three DUs would expire in late 2023.
The governor calculated that there will likely be a simultaneous implementation of the construction of the Bohol-based power generation facility and the Cebu-Bohol power interconnection project.
Yap also pointed out that the DUs will have to comply with the province’s “non-coal” user policy for power plants, consistent with the environment-friendly policy of the province.
Major consideration in determining the most qualified energy development investor is the generation and supply reliability, resiliency and cost-efficiency of the energy projects.
During the energy summit here last September 17, Yap asked DOE Sec. Alfonso Cusi to exempt Bohol from the policy of “standby emergency supply” of seven megawatts which should be used to make Bohol power supply stable and to maintain a reasonable power price level.