Electricity crisis supply is unavoidable despite rise in supply

The expected crisis in electricity supply in Java and Bali next year cannot be avoided despite there will be additional supply of about 512.5 MW from three power plants during the year. Although with the fresh electricity supply, the reserve margin for the Java and Bali power grid is still below the tolerable level of 30 percent, according to state owned electricity company PLN.

The general manager of PLN?s transmission unit for the Java and Bali power grid, Basuki Prayitno said in Jakarta on Thursday that the reserve margin level could be even further drop to below 29 percent next year. "With this condition, it will be quite difficult for PLN to meet the demand during peak hours," he said.

He said that although there was a significant increase in the power supply in recent years, the reserve capacity of the Electricity Company to meet the demand was still below the normal level of 30 percent due to continued increases in the new connections particularly in household customers.

He said that the integration of power supply from three power plants into the Java and Bali transmission system next year would not be able to solve the problem due to continued increase in the demand.

Three new power plants are expected to add the electricity supply in the Java and Bali grid beginning next year. They include combined cycle power plant PLTGU Grati Blok II with generating capacity of 3 x 100.75 MW, geothermal power plant PLTP Dieng with capacity of 60 MW and steam power PLTU Cikarang with a capacity of 150 MW. (*)