Four months to go before Madura sees light

Four months to go before Madura sees light

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro
Mangkusubroto said on Thursday it would take the government up to
four months to repair the damaged underwater main power cable,
which had left Madura without electricity since last Friday.

Speaking to journalists after attending the ninth ministerial
council meeting of the Australia-Indonesia Joint Authority for
the Timor Gap Zone of Cooperation, Kuntoro said it would take
that long to bring in new facilities.

Madura in East Java needs a total of 73 megawatts (MW) of
electricity. Generators are currently producing 3 MW only.

"We are now trying to bring diesel-activated electricity
generators from Surabaya and Jakarta to Madura.

"If we can obtain them, we expect to provide up to 13 MW for
Madura. Of course that amount would not be enough to light up all
of Madura. So, we will only provide electricity for vital
facilities such as hospitals."

"To bring all these diesel-activated generators from Surabaya
and Jakarta will take at least one month. It will be four months
before PLN (the state-owned electricity company), will finish
repairing the broken facilities or build new ones to bring in the
required 73 MW," he said.

When asked about estimated costs for either the repair or the
purchase of new facilities, Kuntoro replied: "We are not at that
stage yet.

"What's important now is that the electricity comes first; as
for the money, we'll calculate costs later."

Madura has a population of 3 million. The underwater 150,000
volt-cable was severely damaged after the Singapore vessel, Kota
Indah dropped its anchor on the cable last Friday. (rid)