Govt Targets 3,605 MW Additional Power Production In 2014

Jakarta, Feb 3 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has set a target of 3,605 megawatts of additional power production in 2014, or an increase of 7.6 per cent over last year�s power production of 47,128 megawatts. Directorate-General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Jarman said here on Monday that the government aims to set up power plants to generate 50,733 megawatts by the end of 2014. "These additional power plants will be divided into two acceleration projects, which are 10,000 megawatts I and II," Jarman said. Jarman pointed out that the first stage of the 10,000 megawatts project has been built in the Patuha geothermal plant, Central Java, which will be operational from June 2014. In 2013, the production capacity was raised by 1,875 megawatts, or 4.1 per cent higher than the power production in 2012 of 45,253 megawatts. Of the 1,875 megawatts additional capacity in 2013, 74 per cent was owned by the State Electricity Company, PLN, and 25.7 per cent by the private sector. Jarman said the government also aims to increase the electrification coverage in Indonesia to touch 81.51 per cent as commanded by the Government Regulation on National Energy Policy, which aims to cover 85 per cent by 2015 and close to 100 percent by 2020. "We are optimistic that we will achieve higher than the 81.51 per cent target. The target in 2013 was 79 per cent and the actual coverage was 80.51 per cent, compared to 76.56 per cent in 2012," he said. In 2013, the Papua province was the only region where the electrification coverage was still under 50 per cent, at 36.41 per cent. The provinces with under 70 per cent electrification coverage were Riau Islands (69.66 per cent), Gorontalo (67.81 per cent), West Sulawesi (67.6 per cent), Central Kalimantan (66.21 per cent), West Nusa Tenggara (64.43 per cent), Southeast Sulawesi (62.51 per cent) and East Nusa Tenggara (54.77 per cent).