Besai power plant in Lampung fail to operate due to floods

The 90-Megawatts hydro-power-plant in Besai, Lampung has stopped operation for several days after the plant?s power house was flooded by floods which recently hit the area, Koran Tempo reported on Thursday.

The president of the state owned electricity company PT PLN, Eddie Widiono confirmed on Wednesday about the failure of the Besai power plant to operate but he denied that the stoppage was caused by a technical problem.

He said that the landslide in the downstream of the river had blocked the water flow, which then flooded the power generators of the plant, which is built about 16 meters above the river ?There is nothing wrong with the project. The failure is purely caused by floods,? he was quoted as saying.

Sources said that the power plant?s stoppage was not news at all. The plant, which started operation in March last year, has for several times failed to operate properly. ?How could a hydropower plant failed to operate merely due to floods. There must be something wrong with its feasibility study,? one of the sources said.

The Besai power plant, which is located in Sukarpura, Bukit Kemuning, North Lampung, was built with the Japanese loan worth about US$100 million. The plant is built to supply the southern Sumatra interconnection power network, which at present still lack capacity to meet the demand from the region. (*)