The Department of Energy (DOE) said Friday South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) and Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI) will shut down a combined running capacity of 1,300 megawatts of natural gas power generation capacity from 9 a.m. on March 29 until 6:30 a.m. on March 31, 2025.
The natural gas plants in Batangas are owned by Meralco PowerGen Corp., the power arm of Manila Electric Co., San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. of San Miguel Corp., and Aboitiz Power Corp.
The DOE said the shutdown is necessary for mechanical activities at Linseed Field Corp.’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal as it advised Luzon electricity consumers to conserve energy during the weekend.
It said Linseed’s LNG terminal activities are crucial for completing its first onshore LNG storage tank by the end of April.
The LNG terminal is expected to resume gas delivery, allowing EERI to synchronize to the grid by 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, and SPPC Block 1, which requires a longer start-up period, by 9 p.m. on the same day.
Both EERI and SPPC are expected to resume full capacity of 1,350 MW from the current 1,300 MW, respectively, by 6:30 a.m. Monday.
The DOE said the shutdown was strategically planned in coordination with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to coincide with lower system demand, minimizing potential supply disruptions.
The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, initially assessed no yellow or red alerts are expected during this period, though spot market prices may temporarily rise, the agency said.
A final assessment will be made once NGCP updates the Market Management System with the latest outage schedule, it said.
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) confirmed adequate supply reserves for the weekend. However, Meralco will remain on high alert and is prepared to activate its Interruptible Load Program (ILP) if needed.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast a heat index of 27 to 32 degrees Celsius, categorized as “caution,” for much of Luzon from March 27 to 31, 2025, with some areas briefly reaching the “extreme caution” level of 33 to 41 degrees Celsius, the DOE said.
Given the warm temperatures, the DOE urged Luzon consumers to conserve energy throughout the weekend, suggesting actions such as maximizing natural lighting and ventilation, turning off lights and non-essential appliances when not in use, and setting air conditioners to 24 to 26 degrees Celsius.