The Department of Energy (DOE) said Thursday said at least 4,164.92 megawatts (MW) of power projects will come online this year to augment the country’s energy infrastructure and bolster the power supply and stability of the grid.
It said about 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 1,320 MW. Peaking plants will comprise 2,164.92 MW.
The DOE said of the expected capacity, 4,030 MW are in Luzon, 80.25 MW in the Visayas and 52.50 MW in Mindanao.
Around 1,224.655 MW will operate in the second quarter, 1,352.167 MW in the third quarter and 1,571.154 MW in the fourth quarter.
Among the committed capacities are the 4×150-MW Mariveles Coal-Fired Power Plant (600 MW) with Unit 1 already under commercial operation, while the remaining three units are under testing and commissioning and are expected to be on full commercial operations by the third quarter.
The 3×440 MW Batangas Combined Cyle Power Plant with total capacity of 1,320 MW of Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI) is expected to operate by the fourth quarter.
The DOE is also looking at the completion and commercial operation of 1,984.775 MW of solar capacities, with 966.294 MW expected to come online by June 2024 while 494.888 MW are under testing and commissioning.
Meanwhile, at least 590 MW of battery energy storage system will also come online this year, with 32.42 MW already operational.
DOE undersecretary Rowena Guevara said these new projects would strengthen the reliability and stability of the grid, providing much-needed capacity to meet the growing energy demand in the country.
She said the anticipated increase in capacity will prevent supply deficiencies and potential power interruptions, particularly during peak-demand periods.