Purnomo: Electricity supply sufficient until the end of this year

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that electricity supply remains "safe" until the end of this year despite the continuing decline in water supply for major hydropower plants particularly in West Java, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Friday.

Purnomo said that the prolonged dry season had caused a sharp decline the water level of several dams and this had resulted in a lower electricity supply from several major hydropower plants in Java.

The Saguling hydropower plant, for example, can only produce about 350 MW of electricity, as compared to about 700 MW in a normal condition, due to the decline the water supply.

The 1000 MW hydropower plant can only produce electricity of about 500 MW due to the drop in the water level, while the Jatiluhur power plant is only able to produce at 60 percent of its capacity.

The minister, however, said that although the condition of the electricity supply remained safe until the end of this year, integrated efforts should be made to cope with the possible worsening of the water supply in the coming years. (*)