Indonesian Power Co. PLN to Shut Down 18 Plants During Idul Fitri
The Jakarta Globe, August 14, 2012
State-owned electrical company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will shut down 18 power plants supplying 7,200 megawatts of power to Java and Bali during the Idul Fitri holiday as Indonesian Muslims head home for mudik.
“The electricity needs on Aug. 17 and throughout the Lebaran [Idul fitri] holiday will decline, thus our need to adjust the supply,” PLN president director Nur Pamudji told the Indonesian news portal kontan.co.id during a press conference in Depok on Tuesday.
Java and Bali regularly need 19,135 megawatts of electricity during daylight hours and 20,424 megawatts at night, Nur said. The PLN’s Java-Bali capacity, meanwhile, reaches 27,670 megawatts.
On Independence Day (Aug. 17), demand is expected to drop to 15,000 megawatts. During Idul Fitri, it will decline to 13,000 megawatts.
Nur said PLN would turn off the power plants in stages, adding that some have already been turned off.
PLN will restart the power plants on Aug. 27, he added.