Energy Columns in BusinessWorld

On the power reserves market and the cost of different energy sources April 4, 2024 | 12:02 am My Cup Of Liberty By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2024/04/04/585509/on-the-power-reserves-market-and-the-cost-of-different-energy-sources/ The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) held a media briefing last week on March 28. Among the topics discussed was the Philippines reserves market that began operation on Jan. 26, 2024. RISE IN RESERVES AND STABLE ELECTRICITY The IEMOP showed data that the reserves of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) have improved significantly starting February. In the Luzon grid for instance, the contingency reserves have increased from 31% in February 2023 to 100% in February 2024. IEMOP added that “For increased reliability in power grid operations, total scheduled capacity should meet the required level of reserves (i.e., 100%).” These high contingency reserves mean the likelihood of a b

On Earth Hour, Lenten travel, and Pinoys in Toronto March 26, 2024 | 12:02 am My Cup Of Liberty By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2024/03/26/584005/on-earth-hour-lenten-travel-and-pinoys-in-toronto/ As it is Holy Week, I will briefly cover four light topics to adjust to slow/non-work mode of most people. ‘EARTH HOUR’ 2024 Last Saturday evening saw the annual celebration of “Earth Hour” where people shut off their lights for an hour. This is practiced in many cities around the world to help “save the planet.” How effectively was it done in the Philippines? I checked the data in the daily operations report of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP). The decline in electricity use between 8:30-9:30 p.m. was mainly because people were going to sleep, which one deduces since the electricity use did not increase after 9:30 p.m. In the Luzon to Visayas to Mindanao grids (see Table 1). That day, March 23, the electricity generation

10 lessons from the PHL Nuclear Trade Mission to Canada March 21, 2024 | 12:02 am My Cup Of Liberty By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2024/03/21/583095/10-lessons-from-the-phl-nuclear-trade-mission-to-canada/ This is a sequel to this column’s March 12 piece “Nuclear energy to sustain Philippines’ high economic growth.” Here I summarize the main lessons from my observations as a participant of the Philippines Nuclear Trade Mission to Canada, Toronto leg which was held on March 6-8. 1. We learned that a small nuclear reactor right inside a university campus is not scary or risky.  We visited the McMaster University Nuclear Reactor, which was built in 1957. We went inside the structure, saw the staff working there and the uranium fuel bundle at work several meters underwater. The reactor produces electricity plus medical and industrial isotopes for healthcare, radiography and imaging like those in airport X-ray machines. 2. We learned that a mock-up reactor

Nuclear energy to sustain Philippines’ high economic growth March 12, 2024 | 12:02 am My Cup Of Liberty By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2024/03/12/580957/nuclear-energy-to-sustain-philippines-high-economic-growth/ TORONTO — The Philippines’ Nuclear Trade Mission to Canada ended the three-day Toronto leg last Friday, March 8. It was a very educational tour filled with meetings for me and other Philippine participants, headed by Energy Undersecretary Sharon Garin and Science Undersecretary Leah Buendia. On those three days, we saw the McMaster University Nuclear Reactor, we went inside the research reactor that provides neutrons for medical isotopes, imaging service, and power generation (five megawatts), and many other services. The reactor is in the middle of the sprawling university and students, staff, and visitors casually walk outside it without fear or alarm. We also visited a big CANDU (Canada Deuterium-Uranium) mock-up reactor — not a real nuclea

On the nuclear mission in Canada, the AP-MGen-SMC partnership, and electric cooperatives March 7, 2024 | 12:02 am My Cup Of Liberty By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2024/03/07/579978/on-the-nuclear-mission-in-canada-the-ap-mgen-smc-partnership-and-electric-cooperatives/ TORONTO — It is my first time to set foot in Canada. Our plane from Hong Kong landed in the evening and I saw from the air how extensive the bright lights of Toronto are — amazing and fantastic! This is clear proof of a country’s level of development and industrialization — that it has a huge supply of power that is efficiently distributed at competitive prices to wide areas of the country. I will be discussing four energy topics in this column. PHL NUCLEAR TRADE MISSION TO CANADA I am participating in Canadian government-organized events in Ottawa, Toronto, and Saskatoon from March 4 to 12. The Philippine delegation is headed by Energy Undersecretary Sharon Garin, Science Undersecretary