Agnes S. Jayakarna, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Wed, 01/06/2010 9:49 AM
Power supplies to Madura have been disrupted after a ferry anchor damaged one of two undersea
electricity networks under the Madura Strait late Monday, an executive said.
Agus Widayanto, corporate spokesman for the East Java branch of state electricity firm PT PLN, said Tuesday the incident caused a total blackout for about three hours across Madura, East Java.
“We are currently supplying electricity to Madura through the reserve network, which has a 105-megawatt [MW] capacity,” he said, adding the main network was also able to generate 105 MW.
To cover the need for up to 115 MW of power in Madura, he added, PLN had also been operating the PLTG Gili gas power plant in Bangkalan, which produces 30 MW.
“So, there is enough power for the island. As long as the reserve network is in a good condition there will be no more blackouts in Madura,” said Agus.
He said the company needed about three months to fix the damaged network.
The main network, which transfers power from the Java-Bali electricity connection to Madura, was damaged after the anchor of a Kirana passenger ferry — heading to Surabaya from Sampit, Central Kalimantan — hit the network in Madura Strait.
Agus also said that PT PLN was currently in the process of completing the development project of a power network to transfer electricity from Java to Madura through the Suramadu bridge. The network will be able to transfer 400 MW of electricity.
“The project, which is being prepared to spur economic development in Madura following the Suramadu bridge operation, is expected to be completed by the middle of February,” said Agus.
He said the project was expected to encourage development on the island and prevent any similar incidents in the future.
The administration head of Tanjung Perak Port, Cholik Kirom, said separately the Kirana ferry, carrying some 200 passengers and 40 vehicles, wanted to anchor at the port on Monday evening.
As the ferry was arriving in Madura Strait, it was led to the port. At the time, the captain switched off the machine, but the ferry kept moving due to strong waves.
Captain Subiantoro, Cholik added, then anchored the ferry even though he had been reminded not to do so in the area.
The captain did not realize the ferry was still in the yellow area, where PT Kodeco’s pipes and PLN’s electricity networks are installed.
The ferry’s anchor then hit one of PLN’s electricity networks, causing the blackouts.
PT PLN and the Tanjung Perak Port administration officers questioned the ferry’s captain about the incident.
Similar incidents have occurred at least five times over the past decade, with two of them leading to total blackouts across the island.
In 1999, a total blackout hit Madura for three months after a passenger ferry anchored in an area with electricity networks.
