Partial blackout hits Java-Bali

Power blackout hit some parts of Java and Bali on Tuesday following the fall in the electricity supply from state-owned electricity company PT Perusahaan Lisrik Negara's (PLN) three main power plants, Kompas reported on Wednesday.

PLN's director for Java and Bali Murtaqi Syamsuddin said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the company's three main power plants including the 900-MW Muara Tawar power plant in Bekasi, West Java, the 1000-MW Tambak Lorok power plant in Semarang and the 750-MW Grati power plant in Pasuruan, East Java could not be fully operated due to the lack of fuel supply.

He said that the shortage of the fuel supply several days before the rise in the fuel prices also caused a delay in the delivery of the power supply to Muara Tawar and Tambak Lorok power plants.

"As the result, the two power plants could not be fully operated," he said, adding that PLN had been forced to increase the capacity of the Grati power plant in order to offset the cut in the power supply from the Muara Tawar and Tambak Lorok power plants," he said.

However, the Grati power plant, which has received a fuel supply from Shell since May 21, had also run out of fuel, while the next fuel delivery would be made only on June 5, he said, adding that the shortage of power supply from the three power plants are about 900 MW.

The power supply worsened on Tuesday because the power supply from the two units of the 3,400-MW Suralaya power plant in Merak, West Java had unexpectedly declined by 400 MW, he said. "With this condition, PLN had been forced to conduct a partial blackout in order to be able to reduce the power demand by about 1,300 MW," he said.

Murtaqy hoped that fuel supply would return to normal in two days, meaning that the partial blackout would continue at least until Friday.(*)