Sumatra Electricity Condition Is Far Worse Than Java

16 May 2014

Jakarta. Blackout that happened in Jakarta two days ago due to problems with the Muara Karang Gas and Steam Power Plant (PLTGU) had annoyed people in Jakarta. But this condition is still far better than the condition in Sumatra.

According to the Operational Director of PLN for Sumatra, Java and Bali, Ngurah Adnyana, the electricity condition in North part of Sumatra faced a deficit of 150 – 200 megawatt (MW) everyday, this should receive serious attention. Blackout happens every day.

“The condition in Sumatra is far worse than in Java. In North Sumatra the electricity deficit is 150-200 MW. The public will not face it. Only those with power generators will face blackouts. So the condition is much worse that in Java,” Adnyana said to detikFinance on Tuesday evening (13/5).

So what had PLN done? Adnyana said that PLN had rented 150 MW power generators to help the electricity demand in Northern part of Sumatra. But this issue had not solved the electricity crisis.

There are plan for BUMN (State Owned Enterprise) to build electricity transmission to transfer electricity from Southern part of Sumatra that had surplus of energy to Northern part of Sumatra.

Adnyana said that the transmission project was late as local citizens did not allow the usage of their land for the development of transmission.

“Our plan is to build a project similar to Java-Bali transmission. In Java, the power plant in Surabaya could transfer the electricity to Paiton. We also wanted to build similar project like that,” Adnyana said.

He said that to support the economy of Indonesia, the government must prepare good infrastructure including electricity. “Infrastructure had to be prepared and it requires investment,” he said.