"The additional supply of electricity will commence in the next two months, and the power consumers in the areas of Medan should not worry about the supply during Christmas and the New Year celebrations," the minister revealed here on Friday.
Minister Rini stated that the deficit in power supply was one of the key issues that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had been urged to address.
Of the total 210 megawatts of electricity supply, 90 megawatts of the power supplied by Inalums plants is already being distributed to Medan and the remaining will be settled in the near future.
"We have invited the management of state-owned power utility company PLN to discuss the matter and sought its assistance to seek breakthroughs in overcoming the shortage of power in North Sumatra," Rini noted.
The minister pointed that the main problem being faced was the fact that one unit of PLNs steam power plants in Belawan (North Sumatra) was still confiscated by the prosecutors office.
"The 180-megawatt capacity power plant has not been operated for a long time, and until now, its fate is still uncertain," she stated.
She said that her side had informed President Joko Widodo about the problem, hoping that it would soon be settled.
"This matter could be solved immediately if the ministry of energy and mineral resources, PLN, and the prosecutors office sit together. We hope we could solve it with the prosecutor office," the minister affirmed.
She did not furnish further details on when the power plant problem would be resolved.
"We will communicate with the prosecutors office to discuss it thoroughly in the hopes that everything important for the people could be improved," Minister Rini added.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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