PLN on the alert due to power supply disruption

State-owned electricity company PT Perusahan Listrik Negara (PLN) has been on the alert due to disruption in the electricity supply at the company's major power plants in Java.

PLN's director for Java and Bali power distribution, Bagiyo Ridwan said in Jakarta Thursday that the power supply for the Java and Bali power grid had been down since last week due to technical problems and regular overhaul at the company's several power plants.

He said that the second unit of the coal-fired Tanjung Jati B which has a capacity of 600 MW, was currently under repair due to a damage in the valve of the plant's boiler.

?The schedule of annual inspection (simple inspection)has been sped up. (The inspection is) expected to be completed on April 24. This is a preventive measure as we found an irregularity at the main steam valve," he said.

Several other coal-fired power plants including the third unit of the Suralaya plant (400 MW), the eighth unit of the Paiton power plant (615 MW) and the first unit of the Cilacap power plant (300 MW) are also under a regular overhaul.

The regular overhaul is expected to be completed in a week, he said.

Bagiyo said that the technical problem and the overhaul of the company's several power plants had caused the power supply to the Java and Bali power grid to decline by about 3,500 MW.

The decline in the power supply has reduced the supply capacity to 16,500 MW and the reserve capacity to 375 MW, he said. (godang)