PLN to operate mobile power plant in East Nusa Tenggara

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN plans to start operation of a 60 MW marine vessel power plant in April next year to help strengthen electricity supply in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Friday.

The paper quoted PLN General Manager for the East Nusa Tenggara province Richard Safkaur as saying that the company is currently trying to increase power supply in the region by developing new power plants including the mobile power plant project.

He added that a private investors is also developing a 2x15 MW coal-fired power plant in Kupang, the first unit of which to start operation in June of next year, and the second in August.

Richard said that power reserves in the Kupang power system currently stands at only 1.24 percent with peak load in the day time at 54 MW and in the evening at 59 MW. The low reserves makes Kupang to be prone to brownouts when existing plants enter maintenance or repair program as currently happens with two plants. (*)