The run-of-river Semangka hydropower plant in Indonesia has been placed into commercial operation, partly replacing electricity generated by fossil fuel fired power plants in the Sumatra Grid.
A completion ceremony for the plant was held on 16 November, attended by representatives of the owner – Korea Midland Power Corporation and Posco E&C, local partners of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), the Korean Ambassador to Indonesia, the Governor of Lampung Province as well as representatives from Indonesian Government and Voith Hydro.
Located in the South Sumatra Region of Indonesia, the plant utilizes discharge from the Semangka river. Voith delivered the complete water to wire scope for the plant which included two generating units comprising of two vertical Francis turbines with a total output for 56.6MW, two 33.3 MVA generators and two 33/40MVA generator transformers.
The total energy demand in Indonesia is expected to increase by 6.9% each year up to 2026. According to PLN’s strategic planning the total new capacity in the country shall be 56 GW throughout the next ten years. Out of this, hydropower plants are expected to deliver 8.3 GW.
Hydropower development is supporting the government’s initiative in a big way to increase the share of renewables in the country’s total energy use to 23% by 2025 from approximately 13% in 2018.
