City to open power cable bidding process

JAKARTA: The city administration is set to begin a program to lay an underwater electricity cable to North Thousand Islands district in Thousand Islands regency.

Mauritz Napitupulu, head of the city's energy and industry agency, said the agency would open the Rp 160 billion (US$17.5 million) bidding process for equipment in April.

"We are still finalizing the plan," he said.

He said the target to complete construction of the 40-kilometer cable was 2011.

In October last year, the 3,000-meter underwater cable from Tanjung Pasir in Tangerang to Untung Jawa Island, was damaged, causing extended blackouts in South Thousand Islands district, which received 24-hour electricity supply from the undersea cable.

Only a few of the 110 islands in the regency have access to 24-hour electricity supply.

The northern parts of the regency currently rely on generators for electricity. - JP