Indonesia: Government maintains 35,000 megawatt electricity target

Indonesia: Government maintains 35,000 megawatt electricity target

The government said it maintains its target to build new power plants with a
total capacity of 35,000 megawatts until 2019 is set in the National Energy
General Plan (RUEN).

"It was already decided in RUEN. Although it is not easy the president and
the vice president decided to maintain the target," Cabinet Secretary
Pramono Anung said after a limited cabinet meeting here on Thursday.

Pramono said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President M Jusuf Kalla
led two limited cabinet meetings on Thursday -- plenary meeting of the
National Energy Council (DEN) and sea toll and air bridge meeting.

He said the DEN plenary meeting discussed RUEN and expansion of the use of
renewable energy .

"As for RUEN, the president has approved and hopefully a presidential
regulation would be issued this week," Pramono said in a news conference
also attended by Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.

Pramono said even if the national power utility PLN and the Energy and
Mineral Resources Ministry believe the realization would not be more than
20,000-22,000 MW , the president continued to maintain the 35,000 MW
electricity target.

Pramono also said that Indonesia already ratified the international
agreement on renewable energy that the country is bound by the agreement.

"In 2017, although based on estimate our renewable energy ratio could reach
only 7 percent , the target is set at 11 percent to be raised to 25 percent
in 2025," he said.

He said the president has asked the ESDM ministry and DEN to prepare a blue
print that Indonesia would not depend only on fossil energy but would begin
to use renewable energy .

Earlier President Jokowi said the 35,000 MW electricity program is not only
target but also requirement.

"I think it would not be a problem in case of surplus in capacity provided
that it would be too big," the president said.

He said currently Indonesias power consumption is relatively low at 917 Kwh
in 2015 below Vietnams 1,715 Kwh even Singapores 9,146 Kwh.

"If we want to boost development all over the country we would need larger
supply of power," he said.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/108766/government-maintains-35000-megawatt
-electricity-target

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com