PBE begins construction of hydro power project in N. Sumatra

Independent power producer PT Phakpak Bumi Energi (PBE) started on construction of a 2x5 MW mini hydro power plant project in Pergetteng-getteng Sengkut District, Pakpak Bharat Regency, North Sumatra Province, with a ground-breaking ceremony on Monday attended by top provincial and regency administration officials.

The provincial administration said in a statement that construction of the power plant project, called PLTM Lae Ordi-1, is targeted to be completed in two years.

Governor Tengku Erry Nuradi welcomes the project as it will help increase power supply in the province, where peak load currently stands at 2,000 MW, while installed power capacity is 2,200 MW, thus only providing a small reserves of 200 MW, which makes the province prone to continue suffer recurring blackouts. He added that electricity from hydro power plant is also cheaper.

North Sumatra has hydro potential to produce up to 2,500 MW of electricity, but so far only five hydro power plants with combined capacity of 950 MW and mini hydro plants with total capacity of 54 MW have been operated in the province, the governor said.

PBE through PT Humbahas Bumi Energi has been operating a 5 MW mini hydro power plant in Humbahas Regency in the past two years.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak