Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The electricity supply in the Java and Bali area is to be guaranteed following the operation of the Commercial Operation of the Commercial (On Date / COD) of the Java 7 Unit 1 Steam Power Plant (PLTU) as of last week.

The coal-fired plant is the largest PLTU in Indonesia with a total capacity of 2 x 1,000 megawatts (MW) from two units, according to a press release from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) received here on Monday.

The Bureau Chief of the Communication, Public Information and Cooperation (KLIK) at Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Agung Pribadi, explained the PLTU, located in Terate Village, Kramatwatu District, Serang, Banten Province, is the first coal-fired power plant in Indonesia that used Ultra Super Critical (USC) boiler technology.

"The USC technology is projected to be able to increase plant efficiency by 15 percent higher than that of non-USC, thereby reducing fuel costs per kWh. This is at the same time as a mitigation of reducing GHG emissions," Agung added.

The USC power plant operates above a critical pressure of 3,200 psi or 22 MPa. For comparison, the Critical Point of water is 3,208 psia at a temperature of 705 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the point where steam and liquid cannot be distinguished.

According to Agung, the advantage of PLTU Jawa 7 is the use of SWFGD (Sea Water Fuel Gas Desulfurization). This system is environmentally friendly because the distribution of coal from the barge uses a coal handling plant along the four kilometers so that no coal is scattered until it arrives at the coal yard.

The power plant uses Low Rank coal which has a heating value of 4,000 to 4,600 kCal / kg. Later, the operation of PLTU Jawa 7 will require coal supply of 7 million tons per year with the operation of two units.

Agung pointed out that Java 7 PLTU power plant will be channelled to strengthen the Java-Bali interconnection system through the 500 kV Suralaya-Balaraja network towards the Java-Bali interconnection.

"This could support the peak burden of the Java-Bali system which continues to increase from year to year. This year around 28,000 megawatts, up from the previous year 27,000 megawatts," he noted.

The government continues to encourage additional power plants to accelerate the 35,000 MW program.

"We are targeting unit 2 with the same capacity (PLTU Jawa 7) to operate in 2020 so that it can grow economic activities," Agung said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window