N. Sumatra faces power crisis: Official

N. Sumatra faces power crisis: Official

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): North Sumatra has been short of
power for a year and is seeking ways to rent power generators
from other power plants and private companies operating in the
province to fill the demand for electricity until 2002.

Syamrasosia, the director of state-owned electricity company
(PLN) for the North Sumatra region, said here on Wednesday that a
deal with the dormant PT Inti Indorayon Utama (PT IIU) was about
to be made.

He told The Jakarta Post after meeting with the provincial
legislature that he also wanted to rent generators from the
Asahan hydroelectric plant, Sibayak and Sarulla geothermal power
plants as well as the Sibolga coal-fired power plant.

"Now that the company (PT IIU) is not operating, we want its
power generator, which has a capacity of 25 megawatts,
transferred to the PLN network and supplied to consumers,"
Syamrasosia said, referring to the company's pulp industry in
Porsea, whose operation was suspended for environmental reasons.

To date, PLN fully depends on its seven power stations, of
which its total installation capacity of 1,245.06 megawatts can
generate only 779 megawatts a day.

This year, assuming the lowest growth in power demand is 5
percent, PLN will lack 25 megawatts a day because the province
will need a total of 804 megawatts a day.

"Next year, assuming there is low growth in future electricity
demand, the power shortage will reach 34 megawatts a day because
the province will need 898 megawatts a day while the real supply
will be only 864 megawatts. That's why an additional supply will
be needed," Syamrasosia said.

North Sumatra PLN had imposed power blackouts on Medan,
Binjai, Pematang Siantar, South Tapanuli, Sibolga and Rantau
Perapat, from July 4 to July 14 due to the breakdown of a turbine
at the Sicanang coal-fired power station in Belawan.

Damage to the turbine drastically reduced the power supply to
200 megawatts a day.

Repairs to the turbine have been expected to take about eight
months, however, Syamrasosia told the legislature on Wednesday
that repair work was completed on July 13, "and the power supply
returned to normal on July 14". (42/sur)