Visayas power grid faces red alert amid supply shortages

The Visayas power grid in the Philippines has been placed under red and yellow alerts due to a tightening electricity supply. The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that available capacity was estimated at 2,205 megawatts (MW) against a projected peak demand of 2,501 MW. A red alert indicates that supply cannot meet demand, increasing the risk of rotational brownouts, while a yellow alert signifies that reserves are insufficient to cover sudden plant outages.

Meralco PowerGen (MGEN) Thermal noted that the supply strain is driven by rising electricity demand and the unreliability of several generating units, some of which are under forced outage or derated. To mitigate these issues, the newly energized Toledo Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is providing additional support to the grid by offering a quick response to fluctuations in supply and demand.