Hydro plant to reach full power

JAKARTA (JP): The 114-Megawatt (MW) hydropower plant in Kota Panjang, Riau owned by state electricity firm PT PLN is to begin operating fully in October, the company said yesterday.

The head of PLN's West Sumatra and Riau office for power generation and transmission, Iswardi Yahya, said the plant had three turbines but only two of the three generating units had come on stream, to generate 76 MW of power.

"The third unit is scheduled to begin operating in October this year," he was quoted by Antara as saying in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.

Iswardi also said PLN's 175-MW hydropower plant in Singkarak, West Sumatra, would become fully operational in August this year.

This plant has four turbines but only one has already come on stream, to generate 43.75 MW of power. Two more turbines are to start operating next month, and the fourth in August. (jsk)