PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, July 18 (PNA) — The member-consumers of the Zamboanga del Sur Electric Cooperative-1 (Zamsureco-1) will again have to contend with two to three hours daily brownout.
This came as the diesel-powered Mapalad Power Corporation (Mapalad) has shutdown effective Wednesday to undertake repair of its power plant.
Mapalad, an Independent Power Producer (IPP), supplies 5 megawatts to Zamsureco-1.
Zamsureco-1 Information Officer Liberal Cabatcha told the Philippines News Agency there is no information yet as to how long the repair works will be completed.
The Zamsureco-1 member-consumers have enjoyed zero brownout for almost two weeks already after the cooperative have contracted 10 megawatts (MW) from the Therma South, Inc. (TSI) to cover the cooperative’s power deficit.
However, Cabatcha said the consumers will again experience two to three hours daily brownout with Mapalad out of service.
Mapalad is one of the three power suppliers of Zamsureco-1. The others are: the National Power Corporation, which has a contracted 25-MW, and the Therma Marine, Inc., that supplies 5-MW.
Zamsureco-1 has power deficit since Napocor cannot fully supply the 25-MW contracted power to the cooperative due to less power generation brought about by the decreasing water level at its hydro plants.
Zamsureco-1 has a peak load demand of 34-MW. The cooperative supplies electricity to this city and to the 24 of the 26 towns of this province with 69,857 member-consumers. (PNA)