At least 4,164.92 megawatts (MW) of power projects will come online this year to enhance the country's energy infrastructure and bolster the power supply and stability of the grid, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced. To date, 161.20 MW of these committed projects are now in full commercial operation while 835.888 MW are under the testing and commissioning stage.
These power projects represent a mix of both renewable and conventional sources. Baseload plants will comprise around 678.06 MW, while mid-merit plants will total to 1,320 MW. Peaking plants will comprise 2,164.92 MW.
Of the expected capacities, 4,030 MW are in Luzon, 80.25 MW are in Visayas and 52.50 MW are in Mindanao. In terms of the timeline, 1,224.655 MW will operate in the 2nd quarter, 1,352.167 MW in the 3rd quarter and 1,571.154 MW in the 4th quarter.
Among the committed capacities include the 4x150 MW Mariveles Coal-Fired Power Plant (600 MW) with Unit 1 already under commercial operation last month while the remaining 3 units are under testing and commissioning and are expected to be on full commercial operations by the 3rd quarter of this year. Additionally, the 3x440 MW Batangas Combined Cyle Power Plant (1,320 MW) of Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI) is expected to operate by the 4th quarter of this year.
The DOE is also looking at the completion and commercial operation of 1,984.775 MW of solar capacities of which 966.294 MW are expected to come online by June 2024 while 494.888 MW are under testing and commissioning and can already inject energy to the grid.
Meanwhile, at least 590 MW of battery energy storage system will also come online this year, with 32.42 MW already operational.
These additional capacities will strengthen the reliability and stability of the grid, providing much-needed capacity to meet the growing energy demand in the country. The anticipated increase in capacity will prevent supply deficiencies and potential power interruptions, particularly during peak demand periods.
As electricity demand continues to grow, the government will endeavor to assist the private sector in the timely completion of their power projects to generate additional capacities, especially now that we are experiencing strain in the grid due to high demand from the extremely high temperature. The DOE is reminding the local government units (LGUs) and other government agencies to facilitate the timely release of permits and address the right-of-way issues to accelerate the development of energy projects in the country.
The timely development of energy projects is vital to meeting our nation's energy needs," Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said. "We call upon the LGUs and other concerned
government agencies to proactively engage with energy project developers, prioritize the issuance of permits, and address right-of-way issues in a timely manner to facilitate the seamless implementation of energy projects.”
Delays in securing permits and addressing right-of-way issues not only impede the progress of energy projects but also incur additional costs and undermine investor confidence. By expediting these processes, LGUs can contribute significantly to enhancing the investment climate and fostering economic growth and well-being of constituents in their areas.
Since the assumption to office of President Ferdinand Maros Jr., 1,274 MW of installed capacity became operational and have been injecting capacity to the grids.
This administration likewise achieved major milestones with the successful completion and energization of the Mindanao Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) and the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) Backbone Project, marking a significant leap forward in the nation’s energy connectivity and resilience. ###