Suralaya power plant needs modification

State electricity firm PLN needs to modify boilers at its power plant in Suralaya, West Java so it can use more coal from Kalimantan, a government official told Petromindo.Com on Friday.

Kalimantan coal is less suitable for boilers at the Suralaya power plant because it is harder than coal from South Sumatra which is also used for the project, said Gumilang Hardjakoesoemah, director of energy affairs at National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

?The boilers needs some modification,? Gumilang, who is an expert in electricity technology, said.

The steam power plant is the largest in West Java, and is part of the Java-Bali power interconnection system. With six boilers and six generators, the plant has combined capacity of 3,400 megawatts.

The plant requires around 11 million tons of coal annually, of which around 4 million tons have come from Kalimantan while the remaining 7 million have been procured from South Sumatra, Gumilang said. State coal miner PT Batubara Bukit Asam (PTBA) supplies the 7 million tons.

Gumilang said Indonesia Power, a unit of PLN which operates the Suralaya power plant, cannot reduce the volume of coal procured from East Kalimantan because PTBA could not supply more coal to it. (leo)