Power supply from E. Java plant drops to 1,700 MW due to gas shortage

State power company PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali (PJB) says electricity generated by its plant in Gresik in East Java Province has dropped to 1,700 megawatts (MW), from the normal level of 2,200 MW, Bisnis Indonesia daily reported on Monday.

The power supply decrease had been due to a fall in gas supply from BP Indonesia?s Pagerungan gas field which is part of the Kangeang block, in East Java, PJB?s operation director Syamsul Bahri told Bisnis Indonesia over the weekend.

PJB, a unit of state electricity firm PLN, supplies electricity to Java and Bali by operating its gas power plant in Gresik near Surabaya.

Syamsul said BP?s gas supply to the Gresik power plant had fallen to 143 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD), from 242 MMCFD.

He said the plant had also used fuel after the drop in gas supply. But, Syamsul said he was not certain whether the facility would continue to get adequate fuel supply in the coming months.

?If fuel supply for the plant becomes less and less, the situation will be quite risky,? Syamsul said. (*)