PLN Ends Power-Supply Constraints on Sumbawa Island
Mataram (ANTARA) – The State Electricity Company (PLN) says that constraints in electricity supply on Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), are being resolved thanks to the operation of the gas-engine power plant (PLTMG) Sumbawa II with a capacity of 30 megawatts.
General Manager of PLN’s NTB Regional Development Unit, Rizki Aftarianto, said the Tambora System’s capacity before the plant began operating was around 168 megawatts, with a peak load of 157 megawatts.
“Electricity sufficiency on Sumbawa Island is now stronger. Previously, the supply in the area was still short, so our customers’ needs, including the industrial sector, could not be met optimally,” he said in a statement in Mataram on Wednesday.
Rizki noted that the electricity capacity on Sumbawa Island increased from 168 MW to 191.91 MW after the gas-engine plant began full operation in December 2025.
A power reserve of 20 percent of total electricity demand has made energy supply more reliable than before, when there were power constraints.
He said that a large electricity reserve is important to maintain energy supply stability, especially amid growing economic and industrial activity.
Sumbawa Island is now developing as a new industrial area in West Nusa Tenggara, with the presence of a smelter project, the gold mining sector, shrimp farming, and the tourism and hospitality sectors.
“Electricity supply is now considerably more ample and can meet both industrial and public needs well,” Rizki said.
He further confirmed that the additional capacity from PLTMG Sumbawa II has reached the entire Tambora System, covering West Sumbawa Regency, Sumbawa Regency, Dompu Regency, Bima City, and Bima Regency.
The Sumbawa Island electricity system is now connected from west to east, resulting in more stable and evenly distributed energy.
By the end of 2027, the state-owned electricity company plans to add another 60 MW of generating capacity to strengthen the island’s electric system.
Manager of the NT I Project Implementation Unit, Yogi Yohannes Siburian, said that PLTMG Sumbawa II has completed all testing phases and is now operating fully with three engines.
PLTMG Sumbawa II uses Wärtsilä dual-fuel engine technology, type 20V31DF, produced by the Finnish company Wärtsilä, configured with three engines totalling 30 megawatts.
The technology offers high efficiency of up to 50.2 percent in gas mode and 47.9 percent in low-fuel-oil (LFO) mode. In addition, the plant can reach full load in around five minutes.
Yogi explained that the project marked several important milestones, from initial firing on 19 December 2025, first synchronization on 27 December 2025, to the performance test completed in April 2026.