PLN?s Muara Tawar plant now entirely fueled by gas following swap deal with PGN
Thursday, October 3 2013 - 02:17 AM WIB
The Muara Tawar power plant in Bekasi, West Java, owned by state-owned utility PLN is now fully fueled by gas after the company has managed to obtain additional gas supply from state-controlled gas distribution firm PGN.
The full switch to gas, instead of combination with the more expensive petroleum fuel, has allowed PLN to save cost about US$330,000 per day, said Suryadi Mardjoeki, Head of Gas and Fuel Division at PLN to Petromindo.com Wednesday.
Suryadi said that PLN obtains the additional gas supply following a gas swap deal signed with PGN, under which 30 bbtud of gas which has been distributed via PGN?s South Sumatra West Java (SSWJ) pipeline to industries in West Java has now been reallocated to the Muara Tawar plant.
Meanwhile, the industries will get gas from the LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) of PT Nusantara Regas, a joint venture between PGN and state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina.
?So, the entire gas from SSWJ will be supplied for Muara Tawar plant, while PGN?s industrial customers will get LNG from PT Nusantara Regas,? Suryadi said.
Suryadi said that the Muara Tawar power plant requires total gas supply of 210 bbtud, but supply had previously been running at 180 bbutd. The extra 30 bbtud obtains from the gas swap deal with PGN has now allowed the plant to be fired up by gas, thus free from the use of more expensive petroleum fuel.
He said that the cost for petroleum fuel is equal to about $27 per mmbtu, while gas is much lower at about $11 per mmbtu.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak