T

he Banjarnegara regency administration is planning to develop micro-hydroelectric plants in the Central Java region by using harnessing waterfalls or irrigation water.

"Banjarnegara has great water resources to develop these power plants," Erlangga, head of information at the administration's public affairs division, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"The administration has found 60 potential spots for the plants."

These areas, he went on, were appropriate for such projects because they had a constant supply of running water.

Basuki Abdullah, head of the administration's economics division, said there were at least 63 areas where the water resources could support micro-hydroelectric plants, with 70 percent of the regency lying in a mountainous region with lots of waterfalls.

"According to our survey, the water in these areas never stops flowing, even in an extended dry season," he told the Post.

"So we can ensure the reliability of these projects."

Basuki added the administration was testing a 2-megawatt plant supplying power to a village with 1,000 homes.

Such micro-hydroelectric plants are expected to replace a hydroelectric plant run by PT Indonesia Power, which relies on the aging Mrica Banjarnegara dam.

The government has reportedly called for the closure of the dam because of the uncontrolled sedimentation there.

Erlangga said the 200-MW hydroelectric plant, which supplies power to Central Java, would likely run for another few years.

"We've also heard the government has called for the Mrica power plant be immediately shut down," he said.

"Therefore the Indonesia Power management is also trying to develop micro-hydroelectric plants, so they can stay in business once the Mrica plant is shut down."

He added Indonesia Power had already built two such power plants, while the regency administration had only one.