PLN revises upwards fuel consumption in 2007

State electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will need an estimated 8.5 million kiloliters of oil products this year, higher than the previous estimate of of 7.5 million kiloliters, due to problems in getting gas and coal supplies for its power plants.

?We have revises our oil-based fuel consumption target to 8.5 million kiloliters, including the use of 3 million kiloliters of marine fuel oil, this due to the problems in coal and gas supplies? PLN?s director of primary energy and power generation Ali Herman Ibrahim said on Thursday.

According to Ali, coal supplies to PLN?s coal-fired power plants Tanjung Jati B (2x660MW), Cilacap (2x300MW) in Central Java had been disrupted recently due to bad weather. Likewise gas supply from CNOOC to gas-fired power plant Cilegon (740 MW) was not yet at the maximum level.

As a result, PLN must prepare around Rp 38 trillon-40 trillion in funds for the purchase of 8.5 million kiloliters of oil-based fuel at the price of Rp 5,000 per liter, he said

PLN hopes to reduce dependency on oil-based fuel for its power plants and it expects to use coal to meet around 60 percent of its power plants' fuel needs, and natural gas and geothermal steam for around 10 percent and around 5 percent respectively to meet the plants' fuel needs by 2010. By then, oil-based fuel is expected to account for only 3 percent of PLN's fuel needs, Ali added. (godang)