Four months to go before Madura sees light<\/p>\n
NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro
\nMangkusubroto said on Thursday it would take the government up to
\nfour months to repair the damaged underwater main power cable,
\nwhich had left Madura without electricity since last Friday.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists after attending the ninth ministerial
\ncouncil meeting of the Australia-Indonesia Joint Authority for
\nthe Timor Gap Zone of Cooperation, Kuntoro said it would take
\nthat long to bring in new facilities.<\/p>\n
Madura in East Java needs a total of 73 megawatts (MW) of
\nelectricity. Generators are currently producing 3 MW only.<\/p>\n
\"We are now trying to bring diesel-activated electricity
\ngenerators from Surabaya and Jakarta to Madura.<\/p>\n
\"If we can obtain them, we expect to provide up to 13 MW for
\nMadura. Of course that amount would not be enough to light up all
\nof Madura. So, we will only provide electricity for vital
\nfacilities such as hospitals.\"<\/p>\n
\"To bring all these diesel-activated generators from Surabaya
\nand Jakarta will take at least one month. It will be four months
\nbefore PLN (the state-owned electricity company), will finish
\nrepairing the broken facilities or build new ones to bring in the
\nrequired 73 MW,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When asked about estimated costs for either the repair or the
\npurchase of new facilities, Kuntoro replied: \"We are not at that
\nstage yet.<\/p>\n
\"What's important now is that the electricity comes first; as
\nfor the money, we'll calculate costs later.\"<\/p>\n
Madura has a population of 3 million. The underwater 150,000
\nvolt-cable was severely damaged after the Singapore vessel, Kota
\nIndah dropped its anchor on the cable last Friday. (rid)<\/p>",
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