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Jokowi optimistic about tackling electricity deficit in Sumatra within 5 years
President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo says he is striving to achieve a surplus in Sumatra's electricity supply within the next five years, which would guarantee the island of being free from electricity shortages
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resident Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo says he is striving to achieve a surplus in Sumatra's electricity supply within the next five years, which would guarantee the island of being free from electricity shortages.
He said the government was preparing to provide a 35,000 megawatt (MW) electricity supply to Sumatra.
'With such a huge supply, Sumatra hopefully will not experience electricity blackouts. We will achieve this target in stages, however, by optimizing our existing power plants,' Jokowi said on Tuesday, the first day of his official visit to Sumatra. He said a number of obstacles, such as land clearing, had impeded the government's plans to develop new electricity plants.
Jokowi made the comments on the sidelines of his visit to steam-fueled power plant (PLTU) Tarahan in South Lampung. The plant was built just a few years ago but has often experienced technical problems, resulting in rotating blackouts in areas across Lampung. Jokowi and his entourage also visited PLTU Sebalang.
Lampung reportedly lacks up to 300 MW of electricity supply.
During the visit, PLTU Sebalang manager Winarno said while Lampung needed 809 MW of electricity, the province's power plants could only provide 543 MW of the total. Meanwhile, the remaining 266 MW was supplied from interconnected electricity networks in areas of southern Sumatra via South Sumatra province.
'The interconnected system between parties has allowed us to supply each other to tackle the electricity shortages,' said Winarno.
State-owned coal miner PT Bukit Asam (PTBA) corporate secretary Joko Pramono said to tackle electricity deficits on the island, the company was developing several new PLTUs, one of which was PLTU Banko Tengah that would have a capacity of 2 x 620 MW and was expected to be finished in 2018.
By the end of this year, PTBA will complete PLTU Banjarsari with a capacity of 2 x 110 MW in Lahat, South Sumatra.
Earlier, Jokowi observed public services at Merak Port in West Java and Bakauheni Port in Lampung.
'More needs to be improved. Terminal service systems at the ports must be more connected to the crossing vessel system,' he said on Tuesday at Bakauheni Port.
During the visit, Jokowi monitored services at the port's passenger ticket booths and terminals as well as quays. (ebf)(++++)
