We hope this condition would stimulate investors to build labor-intensive industries ..."Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), through a video conference, inaugurated a 2x25 megawatt (MW) mobile power plant (MPP) in Air Banyir, Bangka, and a 1x25-MW MPP in Suge Belitung, on Saturday (March 18).
The Bangka and Belitung MPPs are part of the eight MPPs located in various other regions with a combined capacity of 500 MW, whose inauguration by Jokowi was centered in Mempawah District, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Saturday.
General Manager of state-owned electricity company PLN for Bangka Belitung, Susiana Mutia, stated in Pangkalpinang that the projects groundbreaking in Bangka and Belitung was officiated by Jokowi in June last year.
"In a relatively short time, the MPP Air Anyir of Bangka was completed and operational in Nov 2016, while the MPP Suge Belitung was finished and was operational in Jan 2017," she noted.
The operation of the Air Anyir and the MPP Suge Belitung will increase the electricity supplies in Bangka Belitung province.
Now, the capacity of electricity supplies in Bangka has increased from 135 MW (130 MW at the peak burden) to 185 MW. For the Belitung, the electricity capacity has also been raised from 40 MW to 65 MW with a 38 MW capacity during the peak burden.
The operations of the two MPPs will be able to provide electricity to 17 thousand households and customers of 60 large-scale industries in the region.
"We hope this condition would stimulate investors to build labor-intensive industries, so that workers would be absorbed well in Bangka and Belitung," she remarked.
The MPPs inaugurated by Jokowi on Saturday included the 4x24 MW MPP in Mempawah District, Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
PLN President Director Sofyan Basir, in a written statement received in Pangkalpinang, revealed that the eight MPPs officiated by the president were 2x25-MW MPP in Jeranjang, Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara); the 2x25 MW MPP in Air Anyir, Bangka; the 4x25 MW MPP in Tarahan, Lampung; and the 1x25 MW in Nias.
Others included the 3x25 MW MPP in Balai Pungut, Riau; the 1x25 MW MPP in Suge Belitung; the 3x25 MW MPP in Paya Pasir, Medan; and the 4x25 MW MPP in Pontianak (West Kalimantan).
Basir noted that PLN was able to finish all of the power plant projects through its subsidiary Bright Batam in six months after the president inaugurated their groundbreaking in the first semester of 2016.
The cost of the entire projects was recorded at Rp8 trillion. The eight MPPs are part of the governments 35 thousand MW power plant development program.
He remarked that the inauguration of the eight power plants is proof of the commitment of PLN to accelerate the 35 thousand MW power plant development program in increasing the countrys electricity ratio of 99.7 percent by 2019.
"We hope that the eight MPPs, in various regions with a total capacity of 500 MW, will increase the countrys electricity supplies, notably in West Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, Riau, and West Kalimantan. The availability of electricity is very strategic, because it has a positive impact on regional investment and peoples economy," Basir reiterated.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
