PLN saves Rp 10b in Sumba thanks to micro hydropower
Monday, April 18 2016 - 02:47 PM WIB
Located in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, the island is rich with renewable energy potentials, including micro hydropower. PLN has built a micro hydropower system, called PLTMH Lokomboro in Lokomboro district, Sumba Barat Daya regency with a capacity of 2,700 kW.
The micro hydropower system produced 4,934,252 kWh throughout 2015, or 13,706 kWh. Had PLN used diesel power generators, it would have needed 1,356,919 liters of diesel oil amount of power, worth Rp 10 billion (based on the 2015 diesel oil average price of Rp 7,500 per liter) to produce such amount of power.
?Cost saving thanks to the operation of the micro hydropower system is significant. Last year, the cost saving reached Rp 10 billion,? Machnizon Masri, PLN?s Business Director of Selawesi and NTT regions.
As of February this year, PLTMH Lokomboro produced 988,293 kWh or equal to the power produced from 271,781 liters of diesel oil worth Rp 2 billion.
PLTMH Lokombro initially consisted of one unit with a capacity 800 kW and was privately owned. In 2012, PLN took over the power system and gradually added new units from 2012 through 2014. Now, the power system has a total of seven units. The power system has now becomes a backbone in Sumba power system, Machnizon said.
Aside from PLTMH Lokombro, there are several other micro hydropower systems scattered on the island, namely PLTMH Umbu Wango (200 kW) which has been operating since 2014, PLTMH Laiputi (2x32kW) and Mbaku hau (32 kW) which are operated by PLN in cooperation with local cooperatives.
Besides, the island has several solar farms, namely PLTS Bile Cenge (500 kW) and PLTS Salura (150 kW). PLTS Bile Cenge is operated by PLN in cooperation with the local government.
PLN plans to turn Sumba as an iconic island with 100 percent of its power produced from renewable energy, Machnizon said.
Editing by Johannes Simbolon