PLN Batam Says Power Cuts Were Not Related to Data Centre Testing
Batam (ANTARA) – PT PLN Batam, in the Riau Islands, has stressed that power cuts in Batam and Bintan on Monday (12 October) were not related to data centre operational testing, contrary to information circulating among the public.
PLN Batam President Director Kwin Fo said claims linking the power disruption to data centre testing were untrue.
“The widespread power cuts on Batam and Bintan islands on Monday (12 October) had absolutely nothing to do with data centres. Reports that there was testing or commissioning for data centre operations requiring a very large amount of power are completely untrue,” Kwin said in Batam on Sunday.
He explained that data centres currently being developed in Batam were not expected to operate at full capacity in the near future.
“In our view, data centres will not be operating at full capacity yet. And when they do begin operating, their level of operation is expected to be no more than 10 per cent of their total capacity,” he said.
Kwin Fo also assured that PLN Batam had factored electricity supply for data centres into its planning.
“PLN Batam is very well prepared for data centres. We have no deficit or shortage of supply. Our power reserve is still close to 20 per cent,” he said.
Batam’s electricity system currently has a supply capacity of 930 megawatts (MW), while demand is about 780 MW, leaving reserves close to 20 per cent.
Kwin said PLN Batam was also preparing to increase capacity to anticipate strong growth in electricity demand.
“Batam’s electricity load is targeted to rise from around 930 MW to more than 1,000 MW. We therefore estimate that supply capacity will reach between 1,200 and 1,300 MW by the end of 2027,” he said.
He said electricity demand growth in Batam had exceeded 15 per cent, higher than national electricity consumption growth, which he put at around 3–4 per cent.
“We estimate that between 2027 and 2032, demand will increase by around 300–400 MW, or about 30 per cent. We will therefore build new gas-fired power plants (PLTG) and solar power plants (PLTS),” he said.
In addition to building new power plants, PLN Batam is planning to use a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to support electricity supply across Batam and Bintan.
He said battery storage operates differently from conventional plants such as coal-fired steam power plants, which take longer to resume operation after shutting down.
“Batteries can release power in nanoseconds or milliseconds, so they are much faster than power plants,” he said.
By adding generation capacity and energy storage systems, PLN Batam hopes to meet rising electricity demand while strengthening its power reserves.