El Nino Cuts South Sulawesi Hydropower Capacity by 600 MW, PLN Says
Jakarta. Indonesia’s electricity system is facing pressure as declining water levels reduce the capacity of hydropower plants, particularly in South Sulawesi and surrounding areas, state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) said.
PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said hydrological conditions affected by the El Nino weather phenomenon had reduced output from the Poso, Bakaru and Malea hydropower plants, as well as several mini-hydropower facilities.
The combined available capacity of the hydropower plants has fallen to about 250 megawatts (MW) from around 850 MW, putting additional pressure on the balance between electricity supply and demand in the South Sulawesi electricity system, Darmawan said.
PLN is taking several measures to shore up supply, including accelerating repairs at power plants, optimizing available generating capacity and preparing an additional 627 MW of capacity.
The utility is also coordinating with local governments and regional leadership forums to conduct weather modification operations aimed at increasing rainfall and water availability for hydropower plants.
However, Darmawan said the very dry atmospheric conditions had limited the availability of clouds suitable for weather modification.
“We are carrying out all these measures in parallel. We are targeting a gradual return to balance between electricity supply and demand in the South Sulawesi system by the end of September 2026,” Darmawan said in a statement cited Wednesday.
For the longer term, PLN plans to strengthen the South Sulawesi power system by diversifying its energy sources and making it more flexible and resilient to supply fluctuations.
Under President Prabowo Subianto’s 100-gigawatt solar power program, PLN plans to add about 5.2 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar power capacity and 8.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to the system.
“Solar power will add supply from a source that does not depend on water, while BESS will serve as a buffer when hydropower production declines,” Darmawan said.
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