PLN to raise power capacity in N. Sulawesi
PLN to raise power capacity in N. Sulawesi
By Frits H. Pangemanan
MANADO, North Sulawesi (JP): The state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara will expand its power generation capacity by 78.7 megawatts, to a total of 202.02 megawatts, in the next five years, a spokesman said.
Santoso Sudjadi, a spokesman for the PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) projects in North and Central Sulawesi, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that to expand the generation capacity, the company will build geothermal power units in Lahendong and hydro-power units in Tanggari and Sawangan.
He said that a geothermal power unit, with a generation capacity of 40 megawatts (MW), and another one with a capacity of 2.5 MW will be constructed in Lahendong, about 30 kilometers from here, while two hydro-power units with a combined capacity of 36.2 MW will be constructed in Tanggari and Sawangan, about 80 km from here.
PLN now operates hydro-powered generation plants in Tonsea Lama and Tanggari, as well as a number of diesel generators in Manado and Bitung, with a total capacity of 123.32 MW.
Santoso said that PLN will also install transmission networks, with a total length of 214.7 kilometers, and distribution cable networks, with a total length of 2,000 kilometers, as well as construct distribution stations, with a total capacity of 100 megavolt amperes.
He declined to elaborate on the details of the investment for the planned expansion projects.
He said the expansion projects are expected to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the province, which is now promoting the development of tourism and manufacturing industries as well as rural electrification.
There are some major industrial plants now waiting for electricity supplies, such as a cement plant in Amurang and the expansion of a palm oil mill and a fish canning factory, both in Bitung, he said.
"In addition, the province is also becoming a multi-faceted investment destination, under government-sponsored cooperation with Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines," he said.
The cooperation, covering the eastern part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will need a lot of electricity, considering that all parties involved in the cooperation are committed to jointly develop various projects, such as tourism, air linkages, transportation, forestry, mining, shipping and fishery.
With the cooperation, demand for electricity in the province will likely grow by over 12 percent annually in the coming years, as compared to the 9.3 percent growth in the last fiscal year.
For the rural electrification, PLN is cooperating with the state oil and gas company, Pertamina, and the Agency for Technology Application and Assessment (BPPT) in preparing a pilot project for the establishment of a small geothermal power plant, with a capacity of 2.5 MW in Lahendong, which will start operating later this year, Santoso said.
Setyohadi, head of Pertamina's Lahendong geothermal project, told the Post that the small-scale geothermal plant was designed not only to supply electricity to local villages, but also to become a model for other rural areas in the country.
"We are committed to developing binary-cycle geothermal plants, which are cheaper to construct and easier to operate," he said.
According to Santoso, three geothermal wells in Lahendong are capable of producing 48.8 tons of steam per hour.
He said that the operation of geothermal plants is expected to help reduce the use of fuel for power generation in the country. A study shows that a 2.5 MW geothermal plant will be able to help reduce the use of fuel by 6,300 tons a year.
For the rural electrification in North Sulawesi, Pertamina will explore for geothermal steam and BPPT will design and construct power generation plants, while PLN will operate the plants to supply electricity for local villagers, he said.
According to Setyohadi, North Sulawesi's geothermal steam sources have the potential to support power plants with a capacity of 1,000 MW, including 300 MW in Lahendong, 400 MW in Tompaso (40 km from here), and 300 MW in Kotamobagu (500 km from here).
Indonesia currently operates seven geothermal plants, with a combined capacity of 309.75 MW.