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Crane Crash Darkens PLN’s Fragile Electrical Grid in Jakarta
Arientha Primanita | August 04, 2010

Businesses are likely to accept the rate hike because they can understand the need for it, as long as the increase does not pose too much of a burden on competitiveness and production costs. But it is essential that the government is consistent with its decisions and that it provides reliable power so that operations are not disrupted. (SP Photo/Ruht Semiono) Businesses are likely to accept the rate hike because they can understand the need for it, as long as the increase does not pose too much of a burden on competitiveness and production costs. But it is essential that the government is consistent with its decisions and that it provides reliable power so that operations are not disrupted. (SP Photo/Ruht Semiono)
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Jakarta.  An electricity blackout that hit parts of North and Central Jakarta on Tuesday morning was caused by a heavy-duty crane that fell onto a power transformer, an official said.

Purnomo Willy, general manager for state-owned power utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara’s Jakarta and Tangerang operations, said the hour-long blackout that began at 8:15 a.m. affected buildings along Jalan Kebon Sirih, Jalan Medan Merdeka and Jalan MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

Other areas in the dark included Pluit and Muara Angke in North Jakarta, as well as Cengkareng in Tangerang, where Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is located.

“It occurred after a crane fell onto a 150-kilovolt transformer at our Muara Karang [North Jakarta] power plant,” Purnomo told the Jakarta Globe, adding that the crane was operated by a Japan-based contractor carrying out development work at the coal-fired power plant.

The accident caused a 700-megawatt electricity deficit in PLN’s grid, costing the company as much as Rp 180 million ($20,000) in losses.

“We had to divert electricity from some areas to power up the affected areas,” Purnomo said.

The blackout lasted 30 minutes to an hour while PLN diverted electricity from Kebon Jeruk and Duri Kosambi in West Jakarta and Tangerang to supply the airport and the key Central Jakarta business and government districts.

Sudaryanto, corporate secretary for airport operator Angkasa Pura II, said the half-hour blackout there had not affected operations.

“Our backup generators kicked in right away, so there were no disruptions to the airport’s activities,” he said.

On July 21, technical problems at the Muara Karang plant caused a massive blackout across the city.

One of the transformers at the plant broke down, leaving parts of the city without power for hours. Traffic lights were disabled, causing major congestion.

The country is facing a severe power deficit as the construction of new power plants fails to keep pace with commercial and industrial development.

Jakarta alone requires 5,600 MW out of the 20,000 MW circulating in the key Java-Bali power grid, PLN’s Purnomo said.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said he was considering alternatives to wean the city off its dependency on PLN.

“In the near future we’re going to need far more electricity, not just for daily needs but also for mega projects like the MRT [Mass Rapid Transit railway line] and the KEK [Marunda special economic zone, a proposed coastal reclamation project],” he said.

He added that once the city had its own power source, it might even sell some to PLN to feed back into the grid.

Selamat Nurdin, chairman of the City Council’s Commission B, which oversees economic affairs, said Jakarta should have an independent agency to manage energy demands, which could be funded through a public-private partnership.

For this, Nurdin called for greater investment in the capital.