Java-Bali power system improves to alert status

The Java-Bali power grid has improved to "alert status" from "deficit status" following the resumption of supplies from the third unit of the Suralaya power plant and the seventh unit of the Paiton power plant on Wednesday night.

The resumption of the operation of the two power units has added another 350 Megawatt of power reserve to the power grid.

?With this (additional) reserve, we hope rotating power blackout in Java-Bali could be avoided,? PLN general manager Muljo Adjie told Petromindo.Com on Thursday.

According to PLN?s website, the grid is now able to provide around 14,950 MW of power while the peak demand is estimated at about 14,600 MW.

Normally, the grid gets a total of 18,402 MW of power suppolies from a number of power plants. However, several of them with a combined power generation capacity of around 2,030 MW are now put in maintentance, including the second unit of Suralaya (381 MW) and the sixth unit of Paiton (610 MW).

The two units, together with others with a combined capacity of 845 MW, are scheduled to be back on stream by August 28. (dino)