Electricity Projects Still Run Amid Pandemic

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE

Number: 153.Pers/04/SJI/2020

Date: 15 April 2020

Electricity Projects Still Run Amid Pandemic

Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) ensures the operation and construction of electricity projects still continue to run according to the set plan. However, the works will strictly follow the Covid-19 health protocol according to the recommendation of World Health Organization (WHO).

Director of Electricity Business Fostering, DG Electricity of Ministry of EMR, Hendra Iswahyudi, asserts the running of electricity projects amid the Corona pandemic is necessary to ensure the public have reliable and safe electricity service.

"Operation and maintenance, transmission, and distribution run as usual because these are for public interest, to ensure safe and reliable electricity service," said Hendra at a virtual discussion titled Social Safety Net of Energy during the Corona Virus Pandemic, Tuesday (14/4).

To enforce the policy, continues Hendra, Director General of of Electricity of Ministry of EMR, Rida Mulyana, sent letters to Independent Power Producers and the State Utility Company (PLN).

"The Director General sent letters to IPPs and PLN to obey the mandated health protocol without reducing the performance on the field," said Hendra.

The 35,000 Mega Watt (MW) program is the main priority project run with strict health procedure. Several projects already underway are Coal-Fired Power Plant (PLTU) Batang, PLTU Tanjung Jati, and PLTU Tambak Lorok. "There's been no report about project stop," Hendra explained.

This is done to meet electricity demand, improve electricity system, and increase electricity reserve especially with the implementation of the work and study from home policy. "The government will certainly protect the public by ensuring an improved access to energy," Hendra asserted.

Household Electricity

With more and more people practice work from home (WFH) system, household electricity consumption has been increasing.

Based on PLN data, throughout the first quarter of 2020, household consumption has grown by 7.54 percent, with March consumption grew by 7.43 percent compared to that of the same month last year.

Electricity consumption reached 61.16 TeraWatthour (TWh) as of 1st quarter of 2020. The realization grew by 4.61 percent compared to that of the same period last year which was at 58.46 TWh. Special for March 2020, electricity sales were 20.64 TWh, or growing by 2.36 percent from realization in March 2019 which was 20.16 TWh.

Meanwhile, electricity consumption of business and industry tends to be stagnant, growing by 4.07 percent for business and 0.13 percent for industry as per 1st quarter of 2020.

In March 2020, (electricity consumption of) business grew negatively by 0.88 percent and industry negatively by 2.71 percent.

As publicly known, the WFH system carries out the government policy on physical distancing amid the corona virus pandemic. (IY)

Head of Bureau of Communication, Public Information Services, and Cooperation

Agung Pribadi

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