S. Kalimantan Asam asam power plant shut down

PLTU Asam Asam coal-fired power plant in South Kalimantan has been partially shut down for maintenance due to a problem in its cooling system, Kompas reported on Wednesday.

The shutdown has caused blackout in many areas of the two provinces since Friday when a problem occurred in one of the underground water pipes of the plant's cooling system,

The plant?s manager Syahrizal Purba said on Tuesday that the problem in the underground water pipe forced one of the plant?s two generator units to stop operation.

?The technical problem has caused a loss in the power supply for the province for about 60 megawatt,? he said. The power plant, with its two units, has the capacity to produce 130 megawatt.

He could not predict when the repair works could be completed. ?We are trying hard to repair the broken pipe so that the plant could be operated at its full capacity,? he added. (*)