PLN plans artificial rain for Bakarau hydropower plant

State owned electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will consider the use of artificial rain to increase the water supply for the operation of its hydropower plant in Bakaru village in Pinrang regency, South Sulawesi, Investor Daily reported on Friday.

Director for power generation of PLN, Ali Herman Ibrahim, said in Jakarta on Thursday that the use of the man-made rain was one of the options to cope with the decline in the capacity of the water at the Bakaru dam which provides the water supply to operate the power plant.

"I have contacted the office of the State Minister of Research of Technology on the possibility of using man-made rain in order to increase the water level of the river that supplies the dam," he said.

He, however, said that according to an initial study, the use of the artificial rain would not be effective because the poor condition of the forests near the river. "With such a condition, the artificial rain should be made every day because existing trees could not hold the water for more than a day," he said.

Due to the lack of the water supply, the Bakaru hydropower plant, which has a generating capacity of 126 megawatt, could only operate at a half of its capacity. (*)