NGCP: More baseload plants needed amid demand spike

Following the sudden yellow alert last week, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is pushing for more baseload power plants to meet the projected demand during the summer months.

- Brix Lelis

At a press conference yesterday, NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza reiterated the need for additional base-load sources to ensure the stability and reliability of the country's power transmission network.

"From a grid management perspective, it's really better to have baseload power or non-intermittent, non-variable sources," Alabanza said.

Unlike variable renewable sources like solar and wind, baseload facilities operate continuously and provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

For instance, solar panels only produce electricity when the sun is shining, while wind turbines only operate when there is sufficient wind.

"Although we encourage that because it's clean energy, solar power, by nature, has a relatively low capacity factor. This is because there's no solar energy at night and when it's cloudy, (so) the output drops," Alabanza said.