Indonesia’s new capital city needs 1,555-MW power plant

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has estimated that the need of electricity supply in the would-be new capital city in East Kalimantan province’s districts of  Penajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kartanegara would reach 1,555 megawatts (MW).

According to the Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Rida Mulyana, the amount of electricity supply in the new capital is also to maintain the reserve margin of 30 percent, the Government News Network (JPP)’s report was quoted here on Monday.

He added that not only does the electricity supply in the new capital rely on the interconnection system, but also a new power plant that is expected to locate near or in the province of East Kalimantan.

Based on state electricity company PLN’s General Plan for Electricity Supply in the 2019-2028 period, the additional power capacity in East Kalimantan Province until 2024 is only 691 MW. Therefore, an additional 864 MW for the expected new power plant is still needed in the province.

Currently electricity in East Kalimantan is supplied by the Kalimantan Interconnection System which is an interconnection between the Barito subsystems in South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, and the Mahakam subsystem in East Kalimantan.

The Kalimantan Interconnection System has a net capacity of 1,569.1 MW with the highest load reaching 1,094.9 MW so that reserves remain at 474.2 MW (30 percent).

Meanwhile, the Electrification Ratio (ER) in East Kalimantan in July 2019 was 99.99 percent, the same as in Penajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kartanegara districts.

At present the electricity load in Penajam Paser Utara district is only 15.89 mega volt amperes (MVA) supplied from one substation in Petung with a capacity of 90 MVA.

In the mean time, the electricity load in Kutai Kartanegara district was 117.54 MVA supplied from three substations in Karang Joang, Manggarsari and Senipah  with a total capacity of 290 MVA.

According to Rida, the ideal specifications for developing a new capital city are zero down time (a minimum of three sources of electricity supply is needed); circular configuration grid & smart grid ( equipped with Energy Storage System – ESS); high, medium and low voltage networks using underground cables; renewable energy generation to replace the dominance of Steam Power Plants; and the public station for electric vehicles.

Reporting by Indonesia Window