Gas supplies to power plants should be prioritized: President Jokowi

The PLN president director promised to complete them in six months, and now he has successfully proved that."

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated that gas supplies to power plants should be prioritized.

The president made the remarks while inaugurating eight mobile power plants (MPP), with a combined capacity of 500 megawatts, at Jungkat village, Mempawah district, West Kalimantan province, on Saturday, state electricity company PT PLN said in a press statement released on Saturday (March 18).

Also present at the inauguration ceremony were State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan, West Kalimantan Governor Cornelis, and PLN President Director Sofyan Basir.

The eight mobile power plants include MPP Jeranjang in West Nusa Tenggara province, MPP Air Anyir and MPP Suge in Bangka Belitung province, MPP Tarahan in Lampung province, MPP Balai Pungut in Riau province, MPP Raya Pasir in North Sumatra province, and MPP Mempawah in West Kalimantan province.

MPP Jerajang with a capacity of 2x25 MW began operating on July 27, 2016; MPP Air Anyir with a capacity of 2x25 MW on Sept 13, 2016; and MPP Nias with a capacity of 1x25 MW on Oct 31, 2016.

MPP Balai Pungut with a capacity of 3x25 MW started operating on Nov 13, 2016; MPP Suge with a capacity of 1x25 MW on Nov 22, 2016; MPP Paya Pasir with a capacity of 3x25 MW on Dec 9, 2016; and MPP Mempawah with a capacity of 4x25 MW on Nov 8, 2016.

In his address, the president remarked that PLN had fulfilled its commitment to complete the construction of the eight mobile power plants as scheduled.

"When I visited this place (some time ago), I asked when the MPPs would be completed. The PLN president director promised to complete them in six months, and now he has successfully proved that," he noted.

The construction of the eight mobile power plants, which cost more than Rp8 trillion, is part of the governments program to build power plants with a combined capacity of 35 thousand MW.

(Reported by Kelik Dewanto/Uu.S012/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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