San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said there is sufficient power to supply the requirements of the country for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine, but given the slowdown in economic activity, power facilities would have to scale down production to save on fuel and further secure supply for the next coming months.
“We will continue to operate all our power facilities safely despite the challenges we face and make sure that we supply power where it’s needed. We have prepared for these types of situations and we are ready,” Ang said.
Ang, who also heads its power subsidiary SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., said that while there is no issue with power supply today, it would be prudent for power facilities to save as much fuel to ensure continuous operation.
“The Covid-19 crisis is a worldwide issue, and while we all hope for a resolution soon, it’s better if we are prepared if it extends. If there is excess capacity today, particularly since major business and commercial centers and industries are practically shut down, then perhaps government can require power plants to only produce what is needed in order to save on fuel,” he said.
Enough supply
SMC’s facilities, Ang said, continue to operate 24/7 to provide uninterrupted supply.
SMC Global Power, one of the country’s leading and most reliable energy companies, owns and operates a multi-fuel portfolio of baseload power plants around the country.
Its power generation facilities are located in Bataan, Bulacan, Zambales, and Davao Occidental. It also administers some 2,500 mw of capacity from the Sual, Ilijan, and San Roque plants.
“As far as our facilities are concerned, we can assure sufficient and uninterrupted capacity supplied to the Luzon and Mindanao grids,” Ang said.
With the declaration of Covid-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Oeganization (WHO), SMC Global Power activated its Business Continuity Plan, designed to ensure constant supply, employee safety, and operational reliability.
“Our plants are equipped to handle the demand for reliability. Protocols have been activated in our power plants as a response to crises such as pandemics,” he said.
“This enables our people to operate our facilities with the necessary guidance that ensures their health and safety during such times,” Ang said.
Considered as part of basic services, SMC Global Power has been working with the DOE, the IATF, local government units, and law enforcement agencies on properly navigating through the enhanced community quarantine.
This includes close coordination on the movement of critical people and supplies needed for the continuity of its power plant operations.
“We are here to help the government and the Filipino people in this fight. We want to make sure that every part of our business responds to the country’s needs.”