Taliwang coal-fired power plant to start operation this year
Thursday, April 13 2017 - 01:35 AM WIB
State-owned electricity firm PT PLN said that the 2x7 MW PLTU Taliwang coal-fired power plant in Sumbawa Barat Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province, is expected to be completed and start operation this year.
PLN Business Director for Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara Region, Machnizon Masri told Petromindo.com on Wednesday that construction progress of the power plant project has now reached 80 percent.
?There are two units, both to start operation this year. The first unit will start operation in October followed by the second unit in December,? he said.
Responding to reports of local permitting obstacle faced by PLN in developing a port to facilitate the shipment of coal for the power plant project, Machnizon said PLN has already discussed it with the Sumbawa Barat regency administration. The solution is for PLN to use the Lalar Port, about 10 km away from the power plant project. The required coal will be transported by trucks from the port.
Machnizon said once PLTU Taliwang has started operation, Sumbawa will have installed power capacity of 64 MW, with peak load of 47 MW, thus resulting 17 MW of power reserves.
He added that completion of the power plant project will help increase electrification ratio in West Nusa Tenggara, which at the end of last year stood at 77.68 percent, and is targeted to increase to 99 percent in 2019.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak