Two Biogas Power Generating Plants On Stream In Bengkulu

BENGKULU, Oct 18 (Antara) - Two oil palm plantation companies begin to sell power of their biogas power generating plants to the state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara(PLN) in Bengkulu. "There are two privately owned oil palm plantation companies selling power to us to increase power supply in Bengkulu, Manager of PLN branch in the province Nova Sagita said here on Tuesday. Nova said the biogas power plants are owned by oil palm companies PT Mitra Puding Mas and PT Agromuko. The power plant of PT Mitra Puding Mas produces 2 megawatts of electricity and the one of PT Agromuko generates 1 MW of power. Nova said the power from generating facility of PT Agromuko is for the regency of Mukomuko, and the electricity from the facility of PT Mitra Puding Mas is for Kotabani in the regency of Bengkulu Utara. "We buy the power from the two renewable energy generating plants at a price of Rp1,050 per kWh. Nova said the power from the two power plans increase the power generating capacity of the region now reaching 261 MW with a peak load of 200 MW. He said he hopes other oil palm plantation companies utilized their plant waste to generate electricity needed by the people around the plantations. The biogas power generating plants will contribute to the national electrification program which is expected to be fully carried out in 2019, he said, adding, now rural electrification already reaches 89 percent.