Banda Aceh (Antaranews Aceh) - Deputy Governor of Aceh Nova Iriansyah said the electrification ratio now reaching 96.69 percent in the province is higher than the national average of 92 percent.
Data show that almost all of Aceh has been covered by the electrification program, Nova said on the sideline of the groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of the construction of a gas fired mobile power plant (MPP) with a capacity of 50 megawatts in the regency of Aceh Besar on Thursday.
With the MPP, all of Aceh is expected to be fully covered by the electrification program, he said.
Head of the Division of Sumatra Regional Operation of the national power utility (PLN) Supriyadi said electrification ratio in Aceh is among the highest in the country.
PLN is committed to covering all of Aceh with the electrification program, he said.
"We hope the remaining areas not yet covered by the program would be electrified with the operation of the MPP," Supriyadi said, adding currently there are around tens of villages in Aceh not yet covered by the electrification program.
He said the electrification program is expected to improve the welfare of the people.
PT PLN through its subsidiary PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali (PJB) started world to build the MPP PLTG in the village of Ledong.
Chief Executive of PJB Iwan Agung Firstantara said the construction of the gas fired MPP is only the first phase as it would be followed with the second phase.
The second phase would bring the total capacity of the MPP to 150 MW, he added.
The Aceh`s MPP, which will be supplied with gas from Arun, is part of the national program to build new power generating plants with a total capacity of 35,000 MW.
