The facilities of both the Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) are ready to draw power from the Bohol Diesel Power Plant (BDPP) and provide electricity to select areas in Tagbilaran City.
According to BLCI spokesperson Sheryl Paga, they are awaiting approval from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to distribute power from the BDPP.
“Ang NGCP makatransmit sila og power to BLCI kung ma approve na ang atong gi request sa ERC to draw emergency power sa atoang Bohol Diesel Power Plant,” said Paga.
The BLCI, which caters to Tagbilaran City, and the two other distribution utilities in the province, Bohol Electric Cooperative (BOHECO) I and II, submitted a joint request to both agencies.
“As of karon, nag workout pa ta sa documents para sa ERC and DOE, so once approve nani siya possible maka transmit si NGCP og power,” Paga added.
NGCP Visayas spokesperson Betty Martinez said their substation and transmission lines are ready to transmit power from the BDPP to BLCI facilities.
“Our Dampas Substation is ready to receive power from BDPP as well as to send it to BCLI substation also in Dampas,” Martinez said.
However, the BDPP has yet to issue an update on the repairs of its panel box which exploded on Thursday afternoon during testing operations at the facility.
According to BDPP plant manager Arturo Pepito, they were still conducting an assessment as to whether or not they can push through with the planned activation of the plant.
“Mura’g di pa ta kaingon ga check pa. Ato pa ning susihon pero sa karon dili pa [kaandar],” said Pepito after the incident on Thursday.
If the BDPP is able to generate power, the supply will be rationed among BLCI and the two other DUs.
The BDPP will provide slight relief to the province’s electricity woes but the power generated by the facility will largely be insufficient to cater to Bohol’s power demand.
The BDPP has a capacity of 12 to 16 megawatts, while Bohol’s pre-pandemic power requirement was estimated at 100 MW.
Meanwhile, Paga also noted that they can only provide electricity to select areas in the city as the BLCI continued repairs of its backbone lines that connect to their feeders.
In its Thursday update, the BLCI said that only two of its eight feeders were ready for operations.
“Aduna na kitay duha ka feeders nga andam nga mudawat ug supply sa kurente. Kini mao ang Feeder Alpha (from R. Enerio St. near LTO to J.A. Clarin St. to Plaza Rizal and to CPG North Avenue up to DCPNHS) and Feeder Charlie (from Gallares Hospital going to cor. M. Parras St. and J.A. Clarin St., going to Fil Oil Gas Station),” BLCI said in a statement.
It added that it will be prioritizing the supply of electricity to essential establishments such as hospitals, pumping stations, water refilling stations, gas stations, cell sites, radio stations, malls, and banks.