All villages in Bengkulu have been connected to the electric grid following the construction of a 30-kilowatt (KW) micro-hydropower plant in Sungai Lisai village by state electricity firm PT PLN, Governor Rohidin Mersyah has informed.

“We are grateful for 100 percent of the villages being electrified, and I think it is a basic requirement for the region to move the economy forward,” he said at the Bengkulu City Regional Building on Monday.

According to him, electricity is one of the basic requirements for a community to prosper as regional development progress is largely determined by the availability of electricity.

The currently available electricity supply in Bengkulu is sufficient to support regional development, and the province is also ready to welcome investors in the energy sector, the governor said.

“It is a potential investment competition with the available electricity in Bengkulu, which has reached 550 megawatts (MW),” he remarked.

Meanwhile, the general manager of PT PLN South Sumatra, Jambi, and Bengkulu Regional Main Unit (UID S2JB), Amris Adnan, informed that the company completed the 30-KW micro-hydropower plant through the allocation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.

“All villages in Bengkulu already enjoy electricity, and PLN is striving to increase (the coverage) so that all hamlets can have electricity,” he said.

For providing the power, PLN prepared two electric energy charging stations in Sebelat Village, twelve units of electrical power storage equipment, and one new and renewable energy micro-hydropower plant.

Adnan revealed that the peak electricity load in Bengkulu has reached around 150 MW, while electrical capability has touched around 550 MW.

The surplus is because Bengkulu is connected to the electricity system on Sumatra Island, so they can support each other for power needs.

Source: Antara News