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MANILA - National Power Corp. said it has to install additional capacity to augment electricity supply in Palawan while the tourist hub's new diesel plant is being put up.
Froilan A. Tampinco, Napocor president, said Palawan requires eight megawatts of capacity to fill the supply gap, which will only be met once DMCI Power Corp.'s 27-megawatt diesel plant is up and running by the third quarter of 2013.
"It will take time for the awardee to put new capacity in place. There will be a gap in supply, and that is what Paleco is requesting Napcoor to fill," he said, referring to the Palawan Electric Cooperative.
He said the state-owned company is eyeing generator sets for the purpose.
Paleco recently awarded a 25-megawatt supply deal to DMCI, replacing the cooperative's lapsed contract with Napocor.
The auction for the power deal, however, had been delayed after it was blocked by a spurned bidder.
As a result, Paleco had to ask Napocor for additional capacity as it would be unable to meet its projected requirements from December this year to October next year, Tampinco said.
Napocor would have to identify how to raise the funds for the additional capacity Paleco requested since the "resources needed will not be available in present budget and anticipated budget in 2013."
"We have to go to the board, if there is extra funding to be sourced from national government. We are also asking assistance from the local government to help put up the extra capacity. We also perhaps have to involve the provincial government because it will also be for the benefit of Palawan," Tampinco said.
Palawan's peak demand is placed at 30.5 megawatts while supply from private power providers Palawan Power Generation Inc. and Delta P Inc. total 35.5 megawatts.
The power generators' plants, however, had been experiencing technical troubles, leading to recurring power interruptions in Paleco's service area.
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