Bali's Economy Towards Recovery, Electricity Burden Rises, What's The News About The Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU Development Plan?

Photo illustration (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Slowly Bali is back to being conducive. Had experienced a drastic decline, Bali's electricity load began to creep up. Even last October, the State Electricity Company (PLN) recorded the highest peak electricity load since 2019-2021. Not a problem. However, it is interesting to see plans for future power plant projects, including the Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU.

The record was recorded on Thursday, October 14 at 19.00 WIB, with a peak load of 28,093 megawatts. Meanwhile, for the peak afternoon load throughout 2021, the highest occurred on Wednesday, October 13.

General Manager of PLN's Main Distribution Unit (UID) East Java Adi Priyanto said this condition was better than the highest peak load throughout 2019. In that year, the record peak power load was recorded at 27,973 megawatts.

According to Adi, the increase in electricity load is a good sign, indicating that industrial activity and the economy have started to recover. "It is hoped that this condition will continue to improve and will achieve positive national economic growth."

"In the midst of a pandemic, PLN is trying hard to take part in restoring the economy, through the use of electricity that can be used by the community to increase cost efficiency," Adi said in a press statement, quoted by VOI, Wednesday, November 17.

How are you planning to develop the Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU?

The good signal of economic recovery and its relation to the electricity load has been explained by the PLN Dispatch Coordinator of PT General Energi Bali (GEB), Helmy Rosadi. Some time ago Helmy explained the relationship between economic recovery and electricity demand in Bali.

"With the increasingly conducive and controlled situation of the COVID-19 pandemic with the implementation of PPKM which is very strict and runs quite efficiently in Indonesia, especially on the Island of the Gods, slowly the economy and tourism are starting to rise."

"The provincial government has begun to allow some tourist destinations to reopen with very strict health protocols. As a result, the electricity load on the Island of the Gods is starting to slowly rise and will continue to rise as this pandemic is increasingly controlled," Helmy told VOI.

At that time, in mid-October, Helmy said the increase in load demand would be accompanied by an increase in the need for electrical energy sources in the Bali subsystem. It is known that electricity supply in the Bali subsystem still relies on non-fuel generators, such as coal, LNG (liquid natural gas), and SKLT (high voltage submarine cable lines).

“Based on the realization of BP at night for the Bali subsystem as of November 16 at 19.00, it is calculated at 683.1 MW. The composition of the energy mix (fuel mix) of the Bali subsystem consists of PLTU Celukan Bawang, which contributes 384.4 MW or about 56.27 percent of the contribution; LNG/GAS generator at PT Indonesia Power (IP) Pesanggaran 150.3 MW and power supply via submarine cable 148.4 MW. It is clear that more than 50 percent of Bali's electricity needs are supplied by us, PT GEB. So that our role cannot be underestimated and we are always asked to always perform by PLN in supplying electricity in Bali."

According to Helmy, in the future, the development plan for the Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU is important to be discussed again. In addition to supporting Bali's electricity needs, the Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU will support pro-environmental energy policies because it uses gas fuel.

"The future contribution plan actually goes back to the policy of the central government (the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources) regarding the development of the Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU. We have prepared a plan for the Celukan Bawang 2 PLTGU development."

"If it is needed and permitted by the central government. Celukan Bawang 2 plans to use gas fuel in accordance with the mandate of the Bali provincial government, while prioritizing environmentally friendly generators and to achieve the Bali Mandiri target without any dependence on the island of Java," said Helmy. .