PLN Operates 150 KV New Transmission For Smelter Cheerful Group In Kolaka

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

PT PLN (Persero) has successfully carried out the first ignition or energy transmission connecting PLN's 150 kiloVolt Main Substation (GI) with PT Ceria Nugraha Indotama (CNI) Substation, part of the Ceria Group.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo emphasized that PLN supports mineral downstream efforts by providing reliable electricity supply.

This is because the availability of electricity supply plays an important role in supporting industrial growth, especially in the mining sector.

PLN fully supports downstream efforts to increase the added value of mining commodities, by providing reliable electricity. This is because reliable electricity supply has a crucial role in supporting downstreaming that is currently being intensified by the Government," Darmawan said in an official statement, in Jakarta, Sunday, July 14.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Ceria Metalindo Prima (CMP) Derian Sakmiwata appreciated PLN for successfully turning on the work on connecting electrical power to GI Cheerfully. He said this lighting would further strengthen the growth of the Pray Group industry.

"We hope that this good performance and coordination can continue so that it will have a good impact on the growth of the nickel smelter industry as one of the supports for the electric vehicle ecosystem," he said.

Derian explained that the construction of the CMP smelter using Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technology was carried out in stages with four production lines with a capacity of 4 X 72 Megavolt Ampere (MVA).

In the early stages, said Derian, 1 production line with a capacity of 72 MVA has been built to process Saprolite nickel ore.

"For electricity supply needs, we entrust it to PLN, the plan is that the need for a smelter electric capacity of 414 MVA will begin to be streamed gradually this year," said Derian.

Daily Executive General Manager of PLN Sulawesi Development Main Unit, Senior Manager of Construction Operations (OPK) 1, Budi Ari Wibowo conveyed that this lighting is a tangible manifestation of PLN's readiness to fully support downstream and accelerate the production of electric vehicle batteries in Indonesia.

He said PLN was present to provide reliable and affordable electricity supply for GI Melter Ceria Group or CMP which has a distance of approximately 5.8 kilometers (Km) from GI 150 kV Kolaka owned by PLN.

"Hopefully this success can expedite future work plans because this energy is the initial stage of connecting electricity to high-voltage consumer customers (KTT)," he said.

Budi added that in accordance with the Electricity Sale and Purchase Agreement (PJBTL) agreed by PLN and PT CMP, the initial stage of PLN will supply 118 MVA, from the planned total electricity capacity requirement of 414 MVA for operational purposes for refining nickel smelters in Wolo District, Kolaka Regency.