City, PLN team up to develop submarine electricity cable

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration and state power firm PLN plan to start laying a submarine electricity cable connecting North Jakarta and Panjang island in order improve the power supply to islands in the southern part of the Thousand Islands Regency.

The total cost of the project is expected to come to Rp 50 billion.

"We will start laying the 5.5 kilometer optic cable early next year so that we can start using it by the end of 2006," Regent Djoko Ramadhan told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

He said that the cable would replace 39 power generators, which provide 30 Megawatts of electricity to the islands of the regency.

"PLN president director Eddie Widiono has offered to help link Teluk Naga in North Jakarta to Untung Jawa island, where the firm will also build a transformer to distribute electricity to other islands in the southern part of the regency ... Governor Sutiyoso has agreed to the plan," he said.

Djoko added that the electricity cable would cut the consumption of fuel supplied by the Jakarta Mining Agency to run the generators.

He did not give details of how much fuel and money would be save, but explained that the operation and maintenance of the generators cost a total of Rp 30 billion per year to supply electricity to residents and tourist resorts.

Islands in the southern part of the regency, like Payung, Lindung, Pari and Lancak, will be the first to enjoy the benefits of the new power linkup.

Meanwhile, the islands in the northern part of the regency will be hooked up to the network in 2007 when the administration completes the project's second stage, which will involve the laying of a 35-kilometer submarine cable at a cost of Rp 70 billion.

Djoko also said that state gas company PGN planned to build submarine gas pipelines connecting Labuan Maringai, Lampung -- which is in the southwest tip of Sumatra island -- to Muara Bekasi in West Java, passing through the regency.

"We have asked the company to make another connection to nearby Damar Besar island as we also plan to develop a compressed natural gas power plant there," he said.

The regency, which was a district up until 2001, has a land area of only 869.71 hectares, but a vast maritime area of 6,997.50 square kilometers.

Of 106 islands and islets in the regency, only 11 are inhabited by communities, while nine others play host to resorts. The total population of the regency is 20,376.

The regency says it also plans to expedite the construction of a quay, at a cost to the city budget Rp 35 billion, for passenger vessels and ferries to dock at Muara Angke, North Jakarta.

"We need a spacious place for passenger vessels to dock instead of the current crowded berthing place, which also plays host to a fish auction," he said.

At least vessels, each of which can accommodate 30 passengers, would use the new quay, which would be built close to the Muara Angke low-cost apartments, he explained.

Thousand Islands Regency strategic projects

1. Special quay for passenger vessels in Muara Angke: Rp 35 billion
2. Submarine power cable: Rp 250 billion
3. Development of tourist airstrip: Rp 30 billion
4. CNG power plant on Damar Besar island: US$315 million

Source: Thousand Islands Regency