VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has operated normally despite a major blackout that hit Greater Jakarta and West Java's areas on Sunday.

"There is a problem in power supply from (state-owned electricity firm) PLN. The troubles have caused power cutoff in Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta areas)," Senior Manager of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's Branch Communication and Legal Febri Toga Simatupang said Jakarta on Sunday.

Febri said, the power system at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is supported by four relay stations from PLN, channelled to the main power system of the state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero).

The four relay stations are Jakarta International Airport Cengkareng (JIAC) or Cengkareng I and Cengkareng II stations, Teluk Naga station in Tangerang and Tangerang Lama station. In addition, the power supply for the airport is also backed up with 17 generators and UPS.

"(The blackout) has briefly affected us. But it was immediately handled with the support of 17 generators. Power supply in the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has been under control, our services were not interrupted," Febri remarked.

Flight navigation operation has also run normally despite the major blackout. "We have prepared generators," President Director of Airnav Novie Riyanto said.

Riyanto ensured that all instruments related to flight safety has operated normally.

This major blackout has affected thousands of homes and public facilities in Greater Jakarta and West Java's areas on Sunday afternoon. The electricity went out at 11:48 a.m. local time.

The blackout also affected Jakarta's commuter train and MRT services.

State-owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PT PLN) has apologized to consumers for a major blackout that hit Greater Jakarta and West Java on Sunday.

"We apologize for the blackout. We are now attempting to normalize (the electricity supply). Some relay stations have been turned on," PLN's Executive Vice President Corporate Communication & CSR I Made Suprateka said in a statement.

He explained that the blackout was caused by trips or errors on the Suralaya turbine gas from number 1 to 6, while the turbine gas number 7 is off. Cilegon turbine gas-powered power plants in Banten are also experiencing troubles.

In West Java, a trouble in the Extra High Voltage (SUTET) 500 kV transmission has caused a power outage in such areas as Bandung, Bekasi, Cianjur, Cimahi, Cirebon, Garut, Karawang, Purwakarta, Majalaya, Sumedang, Tasikmalaya, Depok, Gunung Putri, Sukabumi, and Bogor.

PLN will take its best efforts to return the electric power in the regions to normal, Suprateka said (ANTARA)

Indonesia and South Korea have agreed to set a target to finalize negotiation on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of this year.

"The agreement on finalizing their negotiation on IK-CEPA (Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) by the end of 2019 is made by taking the momentum of the 30th ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit held in South Korea," Indonesia's Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said in a statement Jakarta on Sunday.

The agreement was made during a bilateral meeting between Lukita and South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Myung Hee Yoo on the sidelines of the 8th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, China.

According to Lukita, both countries have agreed to focus on discussion on market access and cooperation to reach the target.

Both countries, he said, has a common view to support the completion of RCEP negotiations in 2019.

During the meeting, Lukita has also invited South Korean businessmen to participate in the 34th Trade Expo Indonesia, due to be held on October 16-20 in Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) Bumi Serpong Damai in Tangerang, Banten.

A data of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed that the two countries' bilateral trade in 2018 was recorded at US$18.6 billion, with Indonesia enjoyed a surplus of US$443.6 million.

South Korea is the seventh largest export destination for Indonesian products and the sixth largest importer to Indonesia.

Indonesia's export to South Korea reached US$9.53 billion in 2018, or up 14 percent compared to the previous year at US$8.20 billion while Indonesian import from the country was recorded at US$9.1 billion in 2018, or up 9 percent compared to import in 2017 at US$8.12 billion.(ANTARA)

The Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK MIgas) is optimistic investment in the upstream oil and gas industry in the country will increase after the government began a regular tender for the third phase of conventional oil and gas working areas in 2019.

At least 42 main oil and gas projects with a total investment of US$43.3 billion will be realized until 2027, SKK Migas Chief Dwi Soetjipto said in a press statement released on Sunday.

The 42 projects are expected to have a total production of 1.1 million barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE) consisting of 92.1 thousand barrels of oil and 6.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. 

"Four of them are national strategic projects in the upstream oil and gas sector which become priority to increase oil and gas production in order to meet the increasing oil and gas consumption in the country," he said.

He said the government approved 13 investment plans to develop oil and gas fields as of June 30, 2019. The projects are expected to increase oil and gas deposits to 132 MBOE. The figure will add to reserve replacement ratio (RRR) of 23.85 percent of the target of 100 percent in the 2019 state budget.


Meanwhile, Chief of SKK MIgas Program and Communication Division Wisnu Prabawa Taher said his side has designated 10 prospective areas to support oil and gas exploration activities in the future.

The 10 potential areas are Mesozoic Play in North Sumatra, Basin Center in Central Sumatra, Fractured Basement Play in South Sumatra, Offshore Tarakan, NE Java-Makassar Strait, Kutai Offshore, Buton Offshore, Northern Papua (Plio-Pleistocene & Miocene Sandtone Play), Bird Body Papua (Jurassic Sandstone Play), and Warim Papua (ANTARA)

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has recovered electric power to Balaraja Extra High Voltage substation in Banten Province, and furthermore it will be channeled to Suralaya steam-fueled power plant (PLTU) to gradually recover its operation to reach its capacity of 2800 MW of electricity.

In addition, power supply from Gandul Extra High Voltage substations in Depok, West Java Province, will be channeled to Muara Karang gas and steam power plant (PLTGU) to supply electricity to the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta.

Acting President Director of PLN Sripeni Inten Cahyani said in Depok, West Java, on Sunday that the power supply to Jakarta was expected to recover within three hours.

"We apologize for the inconvenience today, and currently all efforts have been made to recover the Java-Bali power system, especially in the area of West Java, Banten, and Jakarta," Cahyani said.

The company has focused on power supply to PLTGU Muara Karang and PLTGU Priok to recover the system in the capital city.

Previously, PLN has recovered the operation of hydro-generated power plant (PLTA) Saguling and PLTA Cirata which are functioned as power stabilizer, and, at the same time, supply the electricity to PLTU Suralaya through Cibinong, Depok, Gandul, Lengkok, Balaraja and Suralaya extra high voltage substations.

PLTU Suralaya is expected to return to its normal operation within six hours to normalize power system in West Java and Banten.

Blackout that affected thousands of homes and public facilities in West Java, Jakarta, and Banten was caused by several troubles in the extra high voltage 500 kV transmission of Ungaran - Pemalang.

"PLN has taken its best efforts and will have evaluation to prevent recurrence of today's incident," Cahyani said. (ANTARA)