Manila Electric Company (Meralco) stated through its external affairs manager Joe Zaldarriaga the consumers in Metro Manila and other partof  Luzon will no longer suffer rotating blackouts  after the unit 1 of 1,000 megawatt Sual coal-fired power plant and the Sta. Rita plants went online Wednesday.

“There will be no brownout today,” Zaldarriaga said.

He also  said their more than four million customers will now enjoy brownout free power supply.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Luzon’s generation deficiency dropped to 193MW  due to the recent synchronization to the grid of major power plant such as Sual 1 (647 MW) operated by Team Energy Philippines which is now running at 221 MW and will attain soon its rated capacity of 647 MW anytime Wedneday which may bring back the needed reserve for Luzon grid.

Zaldarriaga explained the recommissioning of Module 30 of First Gas Power Corporation’s-Sta. Rita plant that contributed in reducing the power shortage in Luzon last Sunday due to the malfunctioning of the Sual unit 1 and the unit 1 of the 600MW Masinloc coal fired power facilities.

NGCP, meanwhile,  said some areas in Luzon will continue to experience two to three hours brownouts even the Meralco assured the residents of Metro Manila will no longer experience brownouts.

“Outages lasting two to three hours will be experienced by Luzon grid’s load customers. Residents of Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon are advised to coordinate directly with their respective distribution utilities and electric cooperatives for information on the power interruption schedule and the list of specific areas which will experience temporary power outage,” said NGCP.

On Monday, the Meralco made an advisory of rotating blackouts in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon.

The NGCP is the country’s operator of transmission system.

- Jenny Villareal