SIPCOR working to resolve Siquijor power woes
POWER SUPPLIER Siquijor Island Power Corp. (SIPCOR) said it is working to fully restore the electricity in the province within the week as it resolves power supply woes.
In a statement on Tuesday, SIPCOR said it had completed maintenance on one of its service units, providing an increase of 7,550 kilowatts to the power plant’s total capacity.
The company is also evaluating and assessing another unit for corrective maintenance, which is expected to be completed by the middle of the week. An additional generator set is also being rented to cover the shortfall.
“With the increasing demand brought on by the growing economic activity and rising population in the province, the area is currently experiencing a power supply deficit resulting in a rotational power outage,” the firm said.
“We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and we assure our customers that our technical teams are working diligently to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.”
The island province has been placed under a state of calamity due to ongoing power interruptions.
According to the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) of the Department of Energy (DoE), while SIPCOR has an installed capacity of 11.58 megawatts (MW), only 8.816 MW is being contracted to the Provincial Electric Cooperative of Siquijor (PROSIELCO).
EPIMB said that the power woes in the province stemmed from a combination of technical, operational, and regulatory issues that prevent the full utilization of SIPCOR’s generating capacity.
To address the issue, the DoE directed PROSIELCO to update its power supply procurement and distribution development plans to secure additional power supply.
It also tasked the National Electrification Administration to coordinate with the Palawan Electric Cooperative for the transfer of a 2-MW modular generator set, which is expected to arrive in the province within the week. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
