The installation of gas piping in Senenti’s home in Probolinggo, East Java, has left the 54-year-old with questions.

She is uncertain as to whether it is safe for her to cook using the pipelined gas. She does not know whether she needs to obtain refills, as she did with the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters she previously used.

“However, if I was to choose, I would use the gas network over an LPG canister. I can cook faster and the flame is more blue. My pan is also cleaner than when I used LPG,” she said during the recent launch of the gas pipeline network (Jargas) for households program in Probolinggo.

Senenti’s home is among 5,088 that have been connected to the natural gas pipeline network in the city.

The government initiated the Jargas for households program in partnership with state-energy holding company Pertamina and its subsidiary, gas subholding company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), allowing gas operators to directly distribute natural gas to houses using pipelines.

The program aims to reduce the use of LPG, as the government had to import up to 4.7 million tons of the gas every year to meet the annual 6-million-ton demand for 3-kilogram LPG canisters, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan.

As of 2018, Jonan said, his ministry had built 325,852 gas networks in 40 regencies and cities in 16 provinces using state budget funds. Meanwhile, PGN had built 133,082 and Pertamina 4,685, he said.

The ministry installed 89,727 household networks in 2018 alone, the minister added.

However, people have demanded that the program cover more areas and reach their homes. In Probolinggo, for example, the program has only reached houses located in the northern part of the city.

Probolinggo resident Achmad Wahyudi expressed hope that his house in the southern part of the city would be connected to the network soon, saying he and many others had seen the benefits of using a gas network over LPG canisters.

“Many of us have been waiting to use the gas network as it is cheaper and cleaner with a guaranteed supply. We can save up to Rp 20,000 [US$1.41] per month by using the network,” he said.

Probolinggo Mayor Habib Hadi Zainal said around 800 households were awaiting the installation of gas piping in the city.

“I have asked the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to install 10,000 new networks in 2019. Hopefully the ministry can fulfill the request soon,” he said.

Acting Pasuruan Mayor Raharto “Teno” Prasetio made a similar request to the ministry during the recent launch of 6,314 household gas networks in the city.

“Demand among Pasuruan residents is high. A total of 57,686 households have not been installed with gas piping,” Teno said.

Jonan, who attended the event, suggested that Teno submit a five-year proposal to the ministry regarding the number of Pasuruan homes that had yet to be installed with gas piping.

East Java is the province with the most cities operating gas networks. It has three gas operators supplying networks, all located on the southern coast of the province.

At least 65,962 households in the province’s five cities; Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Mojokerto, Pasuruan and Probolinggo, had installed networks as of 2018.

Pertamina Hulu Energi West Madura Offshore (PHE-WMO) supplies 0.6 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas to Surabaya, Lapindo Brantas Ltd. 0.4 MMSCFD to Sidoarjo and Husky-CNOOC Madura Limited (HCML) 0.65 MMSCFD to Mojokerto, Pasuruan and Probolinggo.

Jonan said the government aimed to install 541,835 household networks in 2019 alone, with 78,216 networks to be built in 18 locations using state budget funds.

He added the ministry aimed to install 4.7 million household networks by 2025.

Separately, PGN president director Gigih Prakoso ensured his company would help the government build 4.7 million household gas networks by 2025. (ars)

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