N. Sumatra wants the resumption of Sarulla power plant

The government, through the Kepress 133/200 team, is currently studying the possibility for the investors to resume the construction of the Sarulla geothermal-powered power plant in North Tapanuli, North Sumatra, to supply the badly needed power and prevent possible electricity glut in the province.

The head of state electricity company PT PLN's North Sumatra unit, Sam Rasosia, said the team tasked with presidential decree No. 133/2000 to restructure the country's electricity had been reviewing the project for some time.

He noted that North Sumatra is one of the 26 areas in Indonesia that are prone to power glut. And therefore, the resumption in the construction of a number of power plants in North Sumatra, including Sarulla plant, would be important to prevent such power glut.

The Sarulla power plant, with capacity of 330 megawatts, is owned by PT Unocal Indonesia. The company had drilled 18 geothermal wells in North Sumatra, including two in Sipirok, South Tapanuli, and 11 in North Tapanuli.

The next stage would be building the power generators and distribution network, but before they were built, the project was canceled by the government during the height of economic crisis in 1998.

The North Tapanuli administration has expressed its keen interests to see the resumption of the project. The administration has conveyed its message to the central government through People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) deputy chairman Sabam Sirait. (*)