PLN to build 42-km transmission lines

Public utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) plans to build 42 kilometers of new transmission lines across the country from this year through 2019 to anticipate new power plants with a combined capacity of 42 gigawatt (GW) coming online over the period, local media reported on Wednesday.

?The transmission lines will be built in tandem with the development of the new power plants so that once the power plants have been completed, the power can be immediately distributed,? PLN?s President Director Sofyan Basir during a hearing with the House of Representatives? Budget Committee.

He said the government has instructed the state firm to build 35 GW power plants through 2019, including 25 MW by Independent Power Producers (IPP). Besides, PLN will finalize the development of 14 GW power plant of the previous fast-track development programs.

?Thus, a total of 42 GW will be built through 2019, 25 GW of which will be built by IPP, the rest by PLN,? he said.

With new power plants coming online, PLN expects its customers to increase to 71 million lines by 2019, from 56 million lines in 2014. Meanwhile, sales volume is expected to increase by 8.4 percent to 307 terrawatthour (TWh). ?Electrification ratio will increase to 97.2 percent in 2019 from 83.3 percent in 2014,? Sofyan said. (*)