Drought threatens power supply<\/p>\n
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Java and Bali could face a serious power shortage if the drought
\nhere continues until October, when several power plants are
\nscheduled to shut down for maintenance, according to state
\nelectricity company PT PLN.<\/p>\n
PLN said its program anticipated the annual drought, but the
\nsituation this year is particularly worrying.<\/p>\n
"It is worrying because the water for hydropower plants
\nbecomes scarce just as other power plants temporarily shut down
\nfor maintenance," Herman Darnel Ibrahim, the director of PLN's
\npower plants and distribution, told reporters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has said that the
\ndrought this year will be harsher than last year's. Water
\nsupplies to several dams in Java have also declined.<\/p>\n
Herman said that the drought had already cut the power supply
\nby between 500-800 megawatt (MW) on the Java-Bali power grid,
\nwhich has a total power generation capacity of 18,000 MW.<\/p>\n
Hydropower plants supply some 2,536 MW to the Java-Bali grid,
\nor 14 percent of total supplies.<\/p>\n
Another 2,700 MW will be cut when several power plants,
\nparticularly oil-fired and coal-fired plants, undergo routine
\nmaintenance in October.<\/p>\n
"The plants have to be temporarily shut down to maintain their
\nprime performance. If we force them to continue running, it will
\nbring severe consequences," Herman added.<\/p>\n
Because of the drought, the maintenance program, and PLN's own
\npower consumption, Herman estimated that PLN could only supply a
\ntotal of 13,700 MW to the public, compared with the peak load of
\nabout 13,250 MW.<\/p>\n
This means there will only be a power reserve of 450 MW, while
\nideally the system should have a minimum power reserve of 615 MW
\nor higher, in case of unforeseen problems at any one of the
\nplants.<\/p>\n
With such a thin reserve, Java and Bali face a high risk of
\nblackouts.<\/p>\n
Herman said PLN could not do much to prevent such a critical
\nsituation, as it could not add power to the system to balance the
\ndrop. Additional power is not expected to come into the system
\nuntil next year, when the re-powering of Muara Tawar power plant
\nin West Java is scheduled to finish. The plant is set to supply
\naround 700 MW.<\/p>\n
PLN has prepared several measures to prevent a possible power
\nshortage in October, including urging the public to reduce their
\npower consumption.<\/p>\n
"We are trying to manage the demands for power by urging
\npeople to save power, for example, by using energy-saving light
\nbulbs," he said.<\/p>\n
Further, Herman said in the case of power shortages, PLN will
\nbuy captive power from industries.<\/p>\n
Captive power is generated by privately owned power plants,
\nbuilt by certain companies to supply production activities.<\/p>\n
Additionally, PLN will set up a center to manage the potential
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Herman said the center will coordinate the strategies of other
\ngovernment agencies to handle the crisis, as well as power supply
\nand demand. "A crisis situation will be handled by the center,
\nwhich will operate until the problem subsists," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drought-threatens-power-supply-1447893297",
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