ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) is negotiating with two banks for a P37-million loan to procure 18 megawatts of supply from Therma Marine Incorporated (TMI) and ease the average 10-hour blackouts experienced by consumers in this city.
TMI has earlier pegged a deposit of P72 million but the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) reduced this to P37 million.
Zamcelco vice president Elbert Atilano said that as soon as the amount is secured, TMI will start supplying the 18 megawatts through the lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
As part of their agreement, all revenue collections of Zamcelco will be deposited in the bank to ensure collections of monthly power bills by TMI.
The city of Zamboanga needs about 85 megawatts at peak hours of the day.
However, the NGCP cannot supply this volume of electricity because it is also supplying other power cooperatives in Mindanao.
Atilano said that last Wednesday, Zamcelco received only 41 megawatts instead of the 78 megawatts contracted with NGCP.
There is an expected shortage of electricity, more so, with the shutdown of operations of hydroelectric plants at the Pulangi River in Bukidnon and the Agus River plant in Lanao two days ago.
Atilano said the Pulangi River hydroelectric plant is one of the suppliers of electricity in the region aside from the Maria Cristina Falls in Lanao del Norte.
The Pulangi River hydroelectric plant supposed to be operated for a period of only 30 years has been in operation for the past 59 years, thus the need for an overhaul.
Atilano admitted that Zamcelco is receiving an average of a thousand complaints per day amid the serious blackout day and night in the city.
He said his office alone is receiving about 500 complaints a day aside from their complaint desk and Zamcelco can not do anything because it is only retailing electricity to consumers from what it gets from the NGCP.
“We cannot do anything because what’s given to us we are just distributing to them,” Atilano said.
If they get the additional 18 megawatts from TMI, Atilano said blackouts will be reduced from 10 hours daily to only two hours and, hopefully, no more by May 2012. (PTV/PNA)
Link:http://www.ptv.ph/index.php/news-menu/regional-menu/3808-zamboanga-coop-needs-p37m-to-end-10-hour-daily-blackout
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