PEDC connects to PECO grid
The Panay Energy Development Corp. said it started a trial delivery of power supply on Tuesday to the Panay Electric Company and on Wednesday tested its capability to connect to the Cebu-Negros-Panay Grid (not Panay-Guimaras-Cebu as reported earlier).
“The connection with both the PECO system and the Cebu-Negros-Panay Grid is still part of the plant’s testing and commissioning stage,” the PEDC said in an advisory yesterday.
According to PECO, it no longer had scheduled brownouts after 3 p.m. on Wednesday after sourcing additional power from PEDC.
As long as the Panay Power Corp. and the PEDC can sustain power supply to PECO, there is no reason for brownouts, Engr. Randy Pastolero of PECO said in a television interview.
The PEDC is now operating the first of its two 82-megawatt coal-fired power plants in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City.
Intermittent Basis
PEDC, however, said that considering it is still in the trial delivery stage, it can supply additional power to PECO only “on an intermittent basis as adjustments would be made in preparation for the full operations of the plant.”
“Consequently, PEDC may, at times, disconnect from the PECO system as the reliability of supply can only be ensured upon its full operations,” PEDC added.
It said it can ensure steady supply of adequate electricity to PECO when the plant is already in its pre-commercial operation in the middle of December.
Load Rejection Tests
The PEDC said “upon the successful connection of the plant with both grids, PEDC will then conduct its 25 percent and 50 percent load rejection tests.”
The load rejection test is necessary to test the plant’s protection system and to evaluate the plant’s reaction to abnormalities in the grid, it added.
During the 25 percent load rejection test, the plant will continue to utilize diesel fuel.
The PEDC said the 4,500 metric tons of coal used in the testing for its coal handling system during the plant’s initial shipment and trial delivery held last week will be used to test the plant’s capability to switch to coal fuel during the 50 percent load rejection test.
It will use 4,500 MTs of coal for testing for 8 to 10 days, it added..*
