Additional Power On The Way for Java and Bali, PLN Says
Indonesia state electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara’s coal-fired power project in Labuan, Banten province, will be fully operational by March and will supply the Java-Bali grid with an additional 600 megawatts, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar said on Thursday.
Two other coal-fired projects - at Indramayu, West Java and Rembang, Central Java - were expected to be completed and fully operational by June.
The Rp 5 trillion ($530 million) Labuan project, which consists of two 300 MW coal-fired plants, is being built by Chinese contractor Chengda Engineering and local firm PT Truba Jurong Engineering.
It is one of only three projects being developed this year under the first phase of the government’s 10,000 MW “fast-track” program.
Together, the Labuan, Indramayu and Rembang projects will add 1,890 MWs to PLN’s total capacity of around 24,000 MWs.
Mustafa said the two Labuan plants, once fully operational, would increase the supply of electricity to the Java-Bali grid, which has suffered numerous blackouts during the past three months, and meet the country’s increasing energy demand, estimated to be growing at 7 percent a year.
He said using coal at the plants would save PLN $420 million a year. “With coal as the fuel for the plants, the state will save more than $210 million per year for each of the Labuan plants due to its lower cost compared to using high-speed diesel,” Mustafa said.
Energy Minister Darwin Saleh said the government was expecting all 35 of the projects in the first phase of the fast-track program to be operational by 2013.
PLN president director Fahmi Mochtar said construction of the Indramayu and Rembang projects was 80 percent complete.
“The Indramayu unit I and II plants in West Java and the Rembang unit I and II plants in Central Java will hopefully start operating in June 2010,” he said.
PLN has come under harsh criticism in recent months over its inability to provide the Java-Bali grid with enough electricity.
Djimanto, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), on Thursday welcomed news of the new plant openings, but said PLN still had much more work to do to ensure that the country did not continue to suffer from power outages.
Many areas outside Java and Bali still suffered power cuts regularly, he added.
“Other than the power plants, PLN also needs to focus on the management and distribution of the electricity to ensure that all areas in the country have their [electricity] needs fulfilled, especially areas outside Java and Bali,” Djimanto said.
Two other coal-fired projects - at Indramayu, West Java and Rembang, Central Java - were expected to be completed and fully operational by June.
The Rp 5 trillion ($530 million) Labuan project, which consists of two 300 MW coal-fired plants, is being built by Chinese contractor Chengda Engineering and local firm PT Truba Jurong Engineering.
It is one of only three projects being developed this year under the first phase of the government’s 10,000 MW “fast-track” program.
Together, the Labuan, Indramayu and Rembang projects will add 1,890 MWs to PLN’s total capacity of around 24,000 MWs.
Mustafa said the two Labuan plants, once fully operational, would increase the supply of electricity to the Java-Bali grid, which has suffered numerous blackouts during the past three months, and meet the country’s increasing energy demand, estimated to be growing at 7 percent a year.
He said using coal at the plants would save PLN $420 million a year. “With coal as the fuel for the plants, the state will save more than $210 million per year for each of the Labuan plants due to its lower cost compared to using high-speed diesel,” Mustafa said.
Energy Minister Darwin Saleh said the government was expecting all 35 of the projects in the first phase of the fast-track program to be operational by 2013.
PLN president director Fahmi Mochtar said construction of the Indramayu and Rembang projects was 80 percent complete.
“The Indramayu unit I and II plants in West Java and the Rembang unit I and II plants in Central Java will hopefully start operating in June 2010,” he said.
PLN has come under harsh criticism in recent months over its inability to provide the Java-Bali grid with enough electricity.
Djimanto, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), on Thursday welcomed news of the new plant openings, but said PLN still had much more work to do to ensure that the country did not continue to suffer from power outages.
Many areas outside Java and Bali still suffered power cuts regularly, he added.
“Other than the power plants, PLN also needs to focus on the management and distribution of the electricity to ensure that all areas in the country have their [electricity] needs fulfilled, especially areas outside Java and Bali,” Djimanto said.