High tide disrupts coal supplies to PLN?s power plants

Strong wind and high tide which hit the Indonesian water for the past several days have disrupted coal shipments to state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN)?s coal-fired power plants in Java, Kontan reported Thursday.

Sources told the daily that the strong wind and high tide during the past several days sharply reduced coal supplies to several PLN power plants including Cilacap and Tanjung Jati B coal-fired power plants.

The two power plants only received a coal supply from a barge respectively due to the bad weather during the past several days. In normal days, at least four barges delivered coal to the two power plants a day. Each barge normally carries between 5,000 and 8,000 tons of coal.

PLN director for premier energy Nur Pamuji acknowledged that the bad weather had disrupted coal shipment to the two power plants, especially Tanjung Jati B. But he was certain that the coal shipment disruption would not affect the operation of the two power plants.

He said that Tanjung Jati B still had coal stocks for at least 35 days of operation.(*)