PLN starts operating PLTMG Merah Mata in South Sumatera

State utility company PT PLN has begun operating gas engine power plant (PLTMG) Merah Mata in Banyuasin, South Sumatera on Friday. Harry Jaya Pahlawan, Director for Operation of PLN West Indonesia led the inauguration ceremony. Operation of this power plant will help boost electricity supply in the Southern Sumatera province.

PLTMG Merah Mata is one of power plants which were leased by PLN, the contract of which was signed in June 2011 by PLN and a consortium led by PT Navigat Energy. The plant utilizes mobile gas engine type with total capacity of 35 MW, comprised of nine units with a capacity of 3.3 MW each, and two units with 2.7 MW capacity each. Total electricity produced by the PLTMG will be 151.2 GWh, with gas consumption of 6.8 BBTU per day .

PLN hopes the operation of the power plant will not only help boost electricity supply in the southern Sumatera region, but also will mean reducing its dependency on petroleum. The operation of the power plant helps PLN to save around Rp 52.6 billion per year.

Going forward, PLN will continue increasing the use of gas in its power plants, particularly in power plants that support peak hour electricity consumption (peaker). These include Sei Gelam Jambi power plant which will be developed by PLN in the immediate future with total capacity of 90 MW, fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG).

In the first semester of this year, the peak electricity consumption in southern Sumatera reached 2,076 MW. As economic growth continues to expand in the region, the peak electricity consumption level will also increase. PLN plans to add 334 MW of power supply in southern Sumatera in 2012. (godang)