MANILA — The country’s grid operator, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has denied that power cut off in Mindanao lasted for eight hours on April 5 — brought by the Agus Switchyard mishap.
”NGCP clarifies, however, that islanding operations restored stable supply of power to areas beginning 1:37 a.m, just a little over half an hour after the disturbance was monitored,” NGCP said in a statement.
The NGCP noted it has started restoration works at 1:04 a.m., three minutes after the entire Mindanao grid lost power on 1:01 a.m.
NGCP said its area control centers in Mindanao shifted to island mode, which isolated the areas, to quickly restore power.
NGCP cited Zamboanga was restored with power at 1:37 a.m.
The second normalization of power flow occurred on 2:47 a.m., with the Iligan Area Control Center restoring electricity to Marawi City and Lanao del Sur, Tangub, Ozamiz, and Oroquieta in Misamis Occidental, Dipolog and Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga City, Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga-Sibugay province, some parts of Lanao del Norte, El Salvador City, and parts of Misamis Oriental.
Davao area control center restored power at 2:50 a.m. in Malaybalay, Valencia, Manolo Fortich, Kibawe, other parts of Bukidnon and majority of Cagayan de Oro City.
Restorations in South Cotabato was completed much later at 4:31 a.m. with General Santos supplying the needed power.
Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, was restored with power at 5:13 a.m., through Butuan area control center.
NGCP reported completing restoration works at 7:52 a.m.
Earlier, National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) President Rolando Bacani said the blackout was caused by a technical glitch, with a conductor hitting a transformer.
However, TransCo could not explain how the damage in one switchyard affected the entire Mindanao grid.
TransCo was tasked by the Energy Department to investigate what caused the power cut off power in the whole of Mindanao.