Batam hit by electricity crisis<\/p>\n
Fadli, Batam, Riau<\/p>\n
Batam island has been faced with an electricity crisis since
\nFebruary, inconveniencing more than half million residents.<\/p>\n
The director of PT PLN Batam, Ery Ifyandri, said on Tuesday
\nthe crisis was caused by a shortage of properly working
\ngenerators on the island. PT PLN Batam is a subsidiary of state
\nelectricity company PT PLN.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the sidelines of a discussion in Batam, he said 38
\ngenerators belonging to the company had been undergoing major
\nrepair since February.<\/p>\n
\"Those units have been used for years and they needed repair.
\nIn normal times, the 38 units can produce 160 megawatts (MW) of
\nelectricity, of which some 120 MW is distributed to households in
\nBatam.<\/p>\n
\"Because some of the units have been undergoing repair, the
\ncompany can only distribute 110 MW of electricity to households
\non the island,\" Ery told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
As a result of this shortage, the company has been forced to
\nimplement rolling blackouts across Batam for three or four hours
\neach day.<\/p>\n
These rolling blackouts have been taking place since February.
\n\"We understand that this is causing losses to the community here,
\nbut we have no choice.\"<\/p>\n
Ery said he hoped the repair work on the generators would be
\ncompleted soon, so the electricity supply on the island would
\nreturn to normal.<\/p>\n
The chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation, Indah
\nSuksmaningsih, demanded the company explain to the public the
\ncause of the rolling blackouts.<\/p>\n
\"The public has the right to know. They have paid the company
\nand now they are receiving poor service,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Hasrul, 32, an ice cream seller, said the blackouts disturbed
\nhis business.<\/p>\n
\"The electricity shutdowns are unpredictable; sometimes they
\nhappen at night, at other times they happen in the afternoon. My
\nice cream, which I keep in the refrigerator, often melts due to
\nthe blackouts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agus Fajri, chairman of the Batam Consumer Protection Agency,
\nsaid the frequent blackouts inconvenienced residents, especially
\nstudents who often were unable to study at night. \"The problem
\nmust be addressed soon.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/batam-hit-by-electricity-crisis-1447893297",
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