Power supply secured during dry season
Power supply secured during dry season
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
State-owned electricity company PLN said on Tuesday that electric
power produced by its hydro-electric stations dropped by some 60
percent during the current dry season.
PLN president Eddie Widiono, however, tried to ease fears that
there would be a disruption in the supply of electricity to the
public by saying the company would intensify the operations of
its geothermal power plants.
"It is quite annoying that the electricity supply will
eventually decrease. But, we will cover for the lack of supply by
utilizing geothermal power plants owned by the company," Eddie
told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar.
PLN is expected to produce some 20,000 megawatts (MW) of
electricity this year, of which more than 10 percent (2,100
megawatts) usually comes from its hydro-electric plants.
According to PLN secretary Muljo Adji AG, the 2,100 MW was
produced by five hydro-electric plants located in Central and
West Java.
In West Java, the Saguling, Cirata and Jatiluhur plants
produce 700 Megawatts, 1,000 Megawatts and 150 Megawatts,
respectively.
While in Central Java, the Mrica and Karangkates generating
stations produce 180 and 105 MW, respectively.
If the amount of energy in those five plants was reduced by 60
percent, it would bring the total down to 854 MW, essentially
leaving a deficit to make up of more than 1,000 MW.
PLN is planning to utilize its geothermal power plants to
anticipate the power supply drop from the hydro-electric plants.
But the capacity of the existing geothermal power plants may
not be sufficient.
According to data from the Indonesian Geothermal Association
(API), as it was revealed by its chairman Herman Darnel Ibrahim
in last April, all seven geothermal power plants in the country
had a combined power output of only 800 MW.
Theoretically, this means that there would be significant
shortage of power during the dry season, which began last month,
and will likely hit its peak in September.
PLN did not address what would happen if the current dry
season was longer than anticipated.
Some reports have earlier said that rice harvest this year is
under a serious threat due to possible severe drought.