Suralaya power plant suffers technical problem

Banten-based Suralaya power plant, the largest electricity supplier for Java-Bali's power interconnection, has partially broken down due to a failure in its heating equipment causing a major drop in its power generation capacity, Koran Tempo reported on Monday.

The spokesman for the state owned electricity company PLN, Muljo Adji A.G. said in Jakarta on Sunday that the technical problem on the Unit 2 (400 megawatts) of the Suralaya power plant had caused a decline in the electricity supply to the Java-Bali grid system.

The damage is being repaired but Muljo could not predict when the heating equipment could be operated normally.

He said that the technical problem would affect electricity supply into the Java-Bali power grid. "Electricity supply in some parts of Java and Bali will be temporarily cutoff beginning Sunday evening," he added.

He asked PLN had appealed to large users such as offices and industries to reduce their electricity usage to minimize the impact of the decline in the power supply to the general public.

Muljo said that other major power units, the Paiton Unit 6 (610 MW) and Unit 8 (615 MW), in East Java have also undergone a technical problem causing a cut-off in the electricity supply in some parts of Java including Jakarta, Depok, Bekasi and Bogor. (*)