PLN and Sarawak Energy to build cross border power grid

State-owned electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and its Malaysian counterpart Sarawak Energy Berhard (SEB) have agreed to build a cross-border power grid connecting West Kalimantan and the Malaysian state of Serawak in the northern part of Kalimantan island.

The memorandum of the understanding (MOU) documents for the cross border power interconnection was signed in Jakarta on Monday by PLN?s Director for Planning Nasri Sebayang and SEB Chief Executive Officer Torstein Dale Sjotveit.

The cross-border power interconnection will stretch from Bengkayang in West Kalimantan amd Mambong in Sarawak with a total length of 122 kilometers. About 86 kilometer length of the 275kV power grid will be located in West Kalimantan and the remaining 36 kilometer in Sarawak.

Power connection is expected to begin commercial operation in July, 2014.

PLN said that the construction of the power interconnection was part of the 25-year cooperation agreement with the Sawarak electricity company. In the first five years of the cooperation, PLN will for example import from the Malaysian company to meet the power shortage in West Kalimantan.

The power transfer for basic load is 50 MW and for peak load is 180 MW. (godang/giok)