Selasa, 09 Desember 2014

GOVT HOPES TO INCREASE POWER SUPPLIES FROM DAMS

 By Andi Abdussalam   
          Jakarta, Dec 9 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has set a target to produce some 35 thousand megawatts (MW) of power supplies in the next five years, in addition to the country's present electricity capacity of over 50 thousand megawatts.
         In order to achieve the target, the government will build power plants, including empowering existing dams or building new ones. "If new power plants are not built, Java will continue to experience power outage," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said when receiving a report on the plan to develop a hydro power plant (PLTA) in Karangkates Dam in Malang, East Java, on Saturday.
         In 2013, the design capacity of Indonesia power generators was recorded at 47,128 MW. The previous government has targeted to increase the country's power supplies by 3,605 MW or an increase of 7.6 percent to 50,733 MW this year.
         In the coming five years, the new government has set a target to produce additional electricity supplies amounting to 35 thousand MW.

 
         Therefore, Vice President Jusuf Kalla expressed hope that dams or reservoirs in the country should be used optimally for the development of hydro power generators to produce electricity.
         The vice president made the remarks in response to the planned development of the hydro-power projects during his tour of West Java, Central Java and East Java to monitor the development of food program in the regions.
         The Vice President on Thursday last week toured West Java's Jatiluhur dam and the Indramayu steam-powered electricity plant (PLTU). He also observed the Kedung Ombo Grobogan reservoir in Central Java, where a hydro-power plant will be built.
         Kalla said after observing several dams and power plant projects that a hydro power generator could only be effective for six months during the dry season.  During the rainy season, the water of dams does not run downstream.
         Dams only function to hold water during the rainy season. Formers used rain water instead for their irrigation. Of course, according to Kalla, the use of dam water for generating electricity is not optimal because the operation has to be stopped for six months.
         "Kedung Ombo, for example, could only be utilized for generating power generators during the dry season when the water flows downstream. This means it is idle for six months. The PLTA therefore did not function during the rainy season," said Kalla.
         He said that this condition could be overcome by putting water pumps downstream so that water from the dam will continue to flow and that the power plants will function for full one year.
         Kalla said that overcoming the condition is very important because electricity generators are badly needed, particularly power generators in Java whose need for electricity increases rapidly.
         "If we do not build power generators, power outage will continue to take place, in Java in particular. Therefore, the government is determined to continue building power generators with a combined capacity of 35,000 MW in the coming five years," the Vice President said.
         In the meantime, President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, expressed hopes that the development of power plants would be smooth without major barriers so that its target to provide some 35,000 MW of electricity supplies would be achieved in the coming five years.
         "The problems we face in building power plants include those related to land clearance and complicated regulations," President Jokowi said in his public lecture at the University of Gadjah Mada here on Tuesday.
         He added that regional authorities were still less responsive to the policy of accelerating power development to achieve self-sufficiency in energy, including electricity.
         The president stated that the issuance of a license could take as long as four years. "This excludes the three years needed for the construction (of a plant)," he pointed out.
         In keeping with this long-drawn process, Jokowi expressed his commitment to transforming license issuance procedures in all government sectors into simpler systems. Stern action will be taken against those found complicating licensing procedures even more.
         "We will investigate who complicates licensing and who tries to hamper land clearance procedures," the president affirmed.
         On the occasion, Jokwoi also expressed concern over the fact that Indonesia still faced electricity problems, despite having abundant reserves of power resources, such as coal and others, which are ready to be exported.
         "We are rich in coal, oil, gas, winds, and solar energy. Even then we face power outages often," the president remarked.
         Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said has earlier revealed that the Indonesian government planned to build power plants with a combined capacity of 35,000 megawatts (MW) in the next five years to address the power deficit in the country.
         Today, capacity that exceeds the required level is available only in the Java-Bali grid to meet normal peak demand (reserve margin) at 25 to 30 percent, he pointed out.
         Power supplies in Sumatra and in the eastern parts of Indonesia fall short of the need, he added.
         Despite having adequate reserve margin, the Java-Bali grid will also run short of power supply unless new plants are established soon, the minister emphasized.
         Data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry show that during the dry season this year, only the Java-Bali grid had a reserve margin of 31 percent, which is ideal for the electricity system. It recorded a peak load of 39,900 MW.***2***

(T.A014/b003/B003)

(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 09-12-2014 23:

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