PLN seeks help of US Embassy to resolve Nias power crisis

State-owned electricity company PT PLN has sought for the help of the US Embassy in Jakarta to resolve the current power crisis in Nias, North Sumatra, Kontan reported on Monday

The paper said that PLN top officials met with US Ambassador for Indonesia Robert O. Blake on Friday to seek the latter?s help to persuade the headquarters of American Power Rental (APR) to resume the operation of its 2x10 MW diesel fired power plant in Nias.

The paper quoted Amir Rosidin, PLN Director for Sumatra region, as saying that the US envoy has agreed to help PLN.

PLN leased the 2x10 MW diesel fired power plant in Nias from APR. But the latter has shut down the plant since April 1, causing blackouts in the region. APR has demanded the state-owned power firm to first make full payment to PT Prastiwahyu Trimitra Engineering for power plants lease with combined capacity of 75 MW in Kualanamu and Tanjung Morowa, both in North Sumatra. Trimitra leased the plants from APR.

PLN has been shipping in dozens of diesel electricity generators to Nias from neighboring cities in North Sumatra, Aceh, and West Sumatra to help resolve the blackouts in Nias. PLN said in a statement Sunday that another 10 diesel generators have arrived in Nias with combined capacity of 1,296 kW, increasing the total capacity of rented diesel generators in the island to 8,648 MW. (*)