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Berau administration in East Kalimantan is looking to develop hydroelectric power on Maratua Island in an effort to cater to the needs of residents, according to the regent.

“We are currently studying wave energy because Maratua is surrounded by seas with stong currents,” Regent Makmur H.A.P.K. told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the recent 14th Indonesian Fire and Rescue Challenge conference in Berau.

He said Maratua was actually equipped with hybrid power generators, which depended on solar and wind energies, but their utilization had not been maximized due to the limited power supply to households.

The 2,282-hectare Maratua, with a population of around 3,000 people, is one of Indonesia’s outermost islands, bordering with Malaysia.

There are 14 nearby islands, two of which are managed by foreign investors from Germany and Malaysia, respectively.

The provision of power on Maratua is reported to be more pressing as the government is planning to build an airport, which is expected to boost tourism as well as help safeguard territory.

The plan has currently entered the phase of land acquisition. Due to be built on a 33-hectare plot of land, construction cost estimates for the airport are Rp 350 billion (US$41 million), with a planned runaway of 1,500 meters in length and 30 meters in width.

However, the administration will have to address the issue of electricy, the supply of which is still below demand, despite the presence of diesel and wind-power generators.

The power deficit on the island has left six computers at the Internet Service Center on the island defunct.

The computers were part of an aid package from the Communications and Information Ministry as part of its campaign to increase literacy among local populations with information technology.

“The computers have been left idle and kept in the storeroom following the increase in fuel prices. It is expensive to operate them because the power generator runs on diesel fuel,” said Internet Service Center manager Sulaiman, 44, who is also a teacher at the SDN 4 state elementary school.

He said that some households faced difficulties lighting their homes due to the high cost of operating the diesel-power generator, while the power from the available solar- and wind-power generators was sufficient for only 100 households.

“And that’s only available for 12 hours, while those who are not linked to the solar and wind generators have to use electricity from diesel generators, if they can afford it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the administration is also developing a micro hydroelectric power station for coastal residents in South Berau.

Making use of the Tabalar River, the station is expected to meet the demand for power in Berau, given the fact that 31 of the 97 villages located in isolated areas of Berau have yet to be linked to power grids.

“A consultative team from the Bandung Institute of Technology is currently compiling the feasibility studies,” Regent Makmur said.

Separately, Chairuddin Noor, the financial and administrative director of PT Indo Pusaka Berau, the operator of the Lati steam-power station, said Rp 80 billion was needed to develop the micro hydroelectric power station.

“Many investors have expressed an interest and are willing to finance the project, but we have to be selective,” he said.

Chairuddin added the micro hydro power station could produce 8 megawatts of power, which was enough to meet the lighting needs of residents living in coastal areas in South Berau, from Talisayan to Biduk-Biduk.

“So far, PT Berau Coal has supplied coal to the Lati steam-power station, which is part of its corporate social responsibility,” he said.