Java-Bali power supplies back to normal
Friday, June 22 2007 - 09:42 AM WIB
State electricity company PT PLN said on Friday that power supplies for Java and Bali had returned to normal after fuel crisis at the 6x140 MW Muara Tawar power plant in West Java came to end and the 2x300 MW Cilacap power plant in Central Java resumed operation.
PLN's Director for Primary Energy and Power Generation Ali Herman Ibrahim said the combined-cycled Muara Tawar power plant was able to generate 560 Megawatts of power on Friday, while the Cilacap coal-fired power plant resumed operation on Thursday night.
PLN halted the operation of Muara Tawar early this week because the vessel that carried fuel to the plant had a problem at its unloading facility, while the Cilacap power plant was unable to operate its cooling facility because the falling of the sea surface.
PLN's President Director Eddie Widiono expressed optimism that the company would be able to meet power demand during the peak load hours during weekend. "Many factories and offices will not open or close earlier on Saturday and many people will leave for recreational sites during weekend," he said.
He noted however that power supplies to the Java-Bali grid remained vulnerable as the Cilegon power plant, which has been shut down to due the absence of gas supply, will only obtain gas supply from Chinese firm CNOOC in mid-July.
Meanwhile, the Suralaya power plant will not be able to fully operate in the coming seven months due to a battery repair work and while PT Paiton Energy Company was still fixing the air fan of one of its power generators in Paiton, Probolinggo, East Java (godang)