Bali to build own power plant to reduce dependence on supply from Java

Bali will build its own power plant to reduce its dependence on the electricity supply from Java, which at present accounts for about 50 percent of the province?s electricity need, Neraca business daily reported on Saturday.

President of PT Indonesia Power, Firdaus Akmal, said in Jakarta over the weekend that the 150 MW-combined cycle power plant, which was previously used to support the Tanjung Priok power plant would be built in Pemaron.

According to Fridaus, the construction of large sale power plants in Bali is vital not only in anticipating a further increase in the electricity demand but also the possible interruption in the electricity connection from Java to Bali.

"The electricity demands in Bali reached 336 MW in July, this year and 347 MW in August, or about 90 percent of the total electricity supply of 421 MW," he said. He said that the condition was so serious because a small interruption either in the supply of electricity from Java or from the existing Gilimanuk power plant could seriously disrupt the electricity supply in the province.

Firdaus said that in the future, Bali should be no longer rely on the electricity supply from Java because the disruption in the undersea power transmission would be fatal for the power supply in the province. The sea between Java and Bali where the undersea cable is installed is getting busier and busier, and the condition will make it more prudent from damages.

Firdaus cited that the cut off of the undersea cable connecting Java and Madura several years ago took several months to repair. "We have to learn from such incident," he said. (*)