JAKARTA, (PNA/Antara) — Vice President Boediono has urged State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik to take strategic steps to address electrical power crisis in North Sumatra province.
“I ask the two ministers to immediately formulate joint steps to resolve the power crisis,” Boediono said at a coordination meeting on electricity at the vice presidential office here on Wednesday.
The vice president called the meeting in response to declining power supplies to households and industries in North Sumatra in recent weeks.
Boediono also asked the ministers not only to solve the power shortages in the short run but also ensure power supplies in the medium and long term to prevent the power crisis in North Sumatra from a recurrence.
The coordination meeting also discussed a wide range of issues related to the development of power plants in the country.
The construction of a power plant with a capacity of 110 MW in Nagan Raya district, Aceh province, is expected to be completed next month. A number of thermal power plants (PLTU) with a combined capacity of 690 MW are expected to start operating next year.
The thermal power plants include the second unit of PLTU Nagan Raya (with a capacity of 110 MW in February 2014), the first unit of PLTU Pangkalan Susu (with a capacity of 200 MW in March 2014), and the second unit of PLTU Pangkalan Susu (with a capacity of 200 MW in May 2014).
Minister Dahlan said the power shortage in North Sumatra occurred because a number of power plants are still under repair.
“The maintenance of the power plants has caused a power supply deficit of 324 MW in North Sumatra,” he said.
The maintenance is expected to be completed in December 2013, he said.