TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Gloomy outlook for power supplies as water shortage forces blackouts

Water shortages in Lampung have forced two hydroelectric power stations (PLTA) operated by state electricity company PT PLN to cease operations, resulting in power rationing over the last few days

Oyos Saroso H.N. and Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post)
Bandar Lampung/Medan
Tue, September 11, 2012

Share This Article

Change Size

Gloomy outlook for power supplies as water shortage forces blackouts

W

ater shortages in Lampung have forced two hydroelectric power stations (PLTA) operated by state electricity company PT PLN to cease operations, resulting in power rationing over the last few days.

The three generators which have been stopped are PLTA Batutegi with a capacity of 28 megawatts (MW) and two at PLTA Way Besai with a combined capacity of 90 MW.

The stoppage of the generators has been caused by insufficient water flow to move the turbines.

Technical manager of PLN Lampung M. Rusli said on Monday that the pause in generation had caused a power shortage in Lampung.

Rusli explained that electricity demand in Lampung averages 385 MW, of which 200 MW is supplied by the Tarahan diesel oil and steam power generators, 90 MW from Way Besai and 28 MW from Batu Tegi. The remainder, usually
about 100 MW, comes from the national grid.

Rusli said that the water shortage was caused by destruction of the catchment areas in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park at Tanggamus.

“The level of water at the Batutegi Dam has been dropping by 5 to 10 cm per day. Water flow is now only sufficient to prevent the networks from running dry. The volume at the dam is only enough for emergency situations, namely irrigation across the region,” said Dadang, an officer at the Batutegi generator.

“The level of water at the dam is expected to return to normal in December,” Dadang said.

The Way Besai power plant in West Lampung has a similar problem. The level of water at Way Besai Dam is 1.5 meters below normal.

Bandar Lampung residents have complained about the recent blackouts.

“On Sunday there were two blackouts. On other days, the electricity has been off three times. This has severely affected our business,” said Murjito, 32, a printer.

Marzuki, 42, owner of a photocopy business, said that the blackouts cost him money.

“My customers canceled their orders,” he said.

Meanwhile in Medan, the North Sumatra Forestry Office is in dispute with the PLN over construction of the Asahan III hydro plant, with a capacity of 87 MW, at a conservation forest area in Pintu Pohan district, Toba Samosir regency.

The forestry office has instructed the PLN to stop construction of the plant as the Ministry has issued no permits for the works.

Head of the North Sumatra Forestry Office JB Siringo-Ringo said he was confused about what the PLN was up to.

“I have no idea how the PLN imagine it can build gigantic power stations in the middle of a conservation forest. As far as I know, the Forestry Ministry has not issued any permits,” he said on Monday.

Responding to a question as to whether local residents had sold their land to the PLN, Siringo-Ringo said that there would need to be an investigation, because if the residents had claimed that the land belonged to them, they would have needed to show some documentary evidence of the fact.

“They can’t just claim they own the land then sell it,” Siringo-Ringo said, showing a plot claimed by local residents which actually constituted part of the conservation forest, in line with Forestry Ministry’s Decree No. 44/2005.

Asahan III hydro power plant manager Robert Aprianto Purba admitted the land procured by the PLN was in the conservation forest area. However, Robert said the PLN would continue the project to completion regardless.

Construction of a base camp is already complete and construction of access roads is underway, he said.

“The PLN bought the land at a cost of Rp 15.3 billion [US$1.59 million] from local residents in 2010. The money has been given to 323 heads of families as the owners of the land. The handover was witnessed by representatives of Toba Samosir regency administration,” he said.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.