PLN deploys generators from Aceh to help resolve blackouts in Nias

State-owned electricity company PLN is deploying diesel generators with a combined capacity of 12 MW to Nias to help to help resolve power blackouts in the island after two leased diesel-fired power plants stopped operation

PLN said in a statement on Wednesday that the diesel generators were shipped from Langsa, Aceh using 23 containers.

?We hope all the generators will arrive in Nias on Saturday,? PLN?s Senior Manager of Public Relation Agung Murdifi said.

PLN will also deploy a 3.8 MW generator from Pekanbaru, Riau and a 2.4 MW generator from Jakarta. The generator from Jakarta is expected to arrive in Nias on Thursday, he said.

PLN earlier said two leased diesel power plants each with a capacity of 10 MW in Moawo and Idanoi stopped operation, but did not say the reason.

Kontan reported on Monday that blackouts in Nias started on April 1, after the owner of the leased power plants APR Energy shut down the power supply. The paper quoted Nizar, a representative of APR as saying that PLN had not paid the lease fee for power plants operated in Tanjung Morawa, North Sumatra. No further details were provided.

But PLN Director of Business for Sumatra Region, Amir Rosidin said that PLN had already paid the lease fee. The problem emerged, he said, because APR demanded PLN to pay leasing fee for 100 percent power supply, while PLN only utilized 22 percent of the capacity.

Nias Regent Sokhiatulo Laoli was quoted by the paper as saying the power supply cut came a week after PLN renewed contract on the lease of the diesel-fired power plants on March 25.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon