PLN network vulnerable to disruption<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
State electricity company PLN said the power outages that hit
\nmost of Jakarta and its surrounding areas on Thursday evening and
\nFriday morning were caused by \"disturbances\" in its transmission
\nlines, and dismissed concerns the blackouts were precursors to a
\npower crisis.<\/p>\n
PLN, however, has not yet been able to establish the exact
\ncause of the disturbances, saying the outages could be the result
\nof anything from a \"simple kite string containing a bit of copper
\nto lightning\".<\/p>\n
PLN corporate secretary Muljo Adji AG said the company was
\ncontinuing to search for the cause of the two power outages,
\nwhich left 4.5 million customers without electricity for hours.<\/p>\n
\"So far we haven't been able to identify the cause of these
\ndisturbances,\" Muljo said.<\/p>\n
PLN attributed the blackout on Thursday evening to a
\ndisturbance at its 100-kilometer-long high-voltage transmission
\nline connecting two relay stations in Cibinong, some 50
\nkilometers south of Jakarta, and Cilegon, some 60 kilometers west
\nof the capital.<\/p>\n
Through this line, the two relay stations supply electricity
\nto Jakarta and West Java from power plants in the region and in
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
Another disturbance was behind Friday's power outage, this
\ntime at the transmission line connecting relay stations in
\nCibinong and Sigalung, 50 kilometers southeast of Cibinong.<\/p>\n
Here too PLN is still searching for the cause of the
\ndisturbance, Muljo said.<\/p>\n
\"The problem with disturbances in transmission lines is that
\nthey are hard to detect,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Although the lines are supported by giant steel towers, they
\ncan be easily disrupted if something becomes entwined in their
\nhigh-tension cables.<\/p>\n
\"It could be the string of a wayward kite that contains a bit
\nof copper or simply lightning,\" Muljo said.<\/p>\n
If the kite string touched two of the tower's three high-
\ntension cables it could cause a short-circuit, and if there was a
\nfire the protection system would immediately cut off the power
\nsupply, he explained.<\/p>\n
\"Meanwhile, there would be nothing left of the string for us
\nto locate.\"<\/p>\n
But when asked how this could have happened at two separate
\nlocations at nearly the same time, Muljo could not answer.<\/p>\n
He admitted transmission lines were vulnerable and did not
\ndismiss the possibility of sabotage.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't found any indications of this (sabotage) ... but
\nit's possible.\"<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, however, ruled out
\nthe possibility that sabotage was behind the blackouts.<\/p>\n
On Friday afternoon, electricity gradually returned to homes
\nand offices in Jakarta and surrounding towns. But some areas on
\nthe outskirts of the capital remained without power into the
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Muljo said the disturbances in the transmission lines were
\ntemporary, but had forced the 3,400-Megawatt Suralaya coal-fired
\npower plant in West Java to shut down.<\/p>\n
Muljo said it took several hours to get the power plant back
\nonstream once it had been shut down. This, he said, was what kept
\nseveral areas in the dark for several hours.<\/p>\n
PLN general manager of power distribution in Jakarta and
\nTangerang, Margo Santoso, said the blackouts had nothing to do
\nwith too much power demand overburdening the transmission lines.<\/p>\n
\"If that were the case, we would have asked large industrial
\ncustomers to unhook themselves from our system and use their own
\npower supplies to prevent the blackouts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Recent talk of a power crisis has concerned consumers, with
\nPLN frequently warning that it may not be able to meet the
\nnation's growing thirst for electricity.<\/p>\n
Indonesia lacks new investment to cope with a surge in power
\ndemand. PLN and experts have warned that without additional power
\nplants and transmission lines, the country may have to cope with
\nmore blackouts as soon as two years from now.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pln-network-vulnerable-to-disruption-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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