The Department of Energy (DOE) said over the weekend the completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay 3 transmission project on March 31 will pave the way for the transfer of replacement power amid the prolonged shutdown of the Palm Concepcion Power Corp.’s (PCPC)’s coal plant in Panay.
PCPC said its 135-megawatt circulating fluidized bed coal (CFBC) plant would not be able to return online on March 30, but assured it would make available replacement power at no additional cost to customers.
“Until March 30, it will be status quo since that is the scheduled maintenance of PCPC. On March 31, CNP3 will be completed, so replacement power for PCPC can be sourced outside of Panay island,” DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said.
PCPC said it is conducting its annual preventive maintenance service (PMS) schedule for its coal plant from February 18 to March 30, 2024.
It was discovered that the generator sustained stator insulation damage, and the damaged parts needed to be replaced to ensure the power plant’s long-term viability.
The company said it would need to source new parts outside of the Philippines to address the damage to the generator.
“Nevertheless, PCPC will remain committed to our existing power supply agreements to ensure that our consumers will not be affected by the extended outage, and will continue to supply replacement power at no additional cost,” the company said.
The DOE earlier said long-term solutions for the Panay grid, such as the energization of several renewable and conventional power plants and the completion of transmission projects to support the power generation projects and the growth of the load centers, are in the pipeline.