Floods shut 700-MW power plant in Jakarta: Report

Severe flooding in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta has led to the shutdown of a power plant in the northern part of the city, state-owned electric company PT. PLN said Monday.

Parno Isworo, a senior PLN official, as quoted by Dow Jones Newswires said that the closure of the Muara Karang plant in north Jakarta over the weekend has led to the loss of 700 MW of electricity for the Java-Bali grid.

Parno said the power loss may be compensated by generating capacities from other power plants serving the grid, but persistent flooding in Jakarta prohibits PLN from restoring electricity for fear of electrocution.

"In flooded areas, we naturally cannot maintain service," Parno said, citing short-circuit dangers as a consideration for maintaining a partial power outage in Jakarta.

In some areas, the water is neck high, and in others, the depth of the flood waters has reached 1.5 meters, Parno said.

While Jakarta is affected by severe flooding and power failures, the Indonesian Parliament is continuing discussions on a new electricity bill.

The bill is expected to be passed in March, said Parno. The new law aims to unbundle the vertical structure of PLN, in order to allow the entry of new players in the creation of a competitive market in the long term. (*)