Power supply from PLTA Sulewana in Central Sulawesi delayed

PLTA Sulewana hydropower plant is expected to begin electricity supply to Poso regency in Central Sulawesi in October this year, several months behind the initial schedule due to difficulties in the installation of the power grid, Investor Daily reported on Friday.

Suroso, the manager of state electricity company PLN?s branch in Palu, the provincial capital of Central Sulawesi, said on Thursday that the company previously planned to begin power supply from the power plant to Poso regency in May, but due to the slow pace of the installation of the 250-km power grid connecting the power plant and the Poso regency, the power supply could not be distributed according to the initial schedule .

?Due to some difficulties, the installation could be only completed in October this year,? he said, adding that the installation is taking longer because the grid had to be installed on steep mountainous areas.

PLTA Sulawena, which has capacity of 3 x 65 megawatts, will distribute its power supply to South Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi. Due to late completion of the installation of the power grid, the power plant which is operated by PT Poso Energi owned by the Kalla family, is only able to distribute power supply of about 90 MW to South Sulawesi. (*)