PLN: No more power blackout after Septembers, this year

State owned electricity company PLN hopes that partial power blackout which has hit at least 28 major cities outside Java and Bali during the past two years could be ended with the operation of new power plants before the end of this year.

PLN?s vice president for communication and community development Alfian Helmy hoped that the electricity crisis, which got worsening during the past two months particularly in Sumatera, could be settled with the operation of several power plants.

According to him, several power plants, which have been suspended due to technical problem, are now being repaired. "We hope they will be able to resume normal operation between September to December this year," he told reporters during his visit at the Ombilin steam power plant in Talawi, about 100 kilometers from Padang.

The shortage of power supply has forced PLN to rotate the electricity supply in many cities outside Java and Bali. The power supply to consumers either households or industries have been cut off for several hours a day to reduce the power demand particularly during peak hours.

The worst hit areas include South Sumatera, Wes Sumatera, Jambi, North Sumatera, Aceh, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Maluku, North Sulawesi, Central Sulesi, Papua, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

Besides optimalizing the operation of the existing power plants, PLN would also speed up the construction of several power plants in the country, he said. (*)