Govt Operating Marine Vessel Power Plant in N Sulawesi

Manado, N Sulawesi (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government is operating a marine vessel power plant (MVVP) called Zeynep Sultan to deal with electrical power deficit in North Sulawesi province.

"The presence of this vessel is part of the governments attention to the current electrical power deficit affecting various areas (in the country)," acting North Sulawesi governor Sono Sumarsono said while inaugurating the operation of the electrical power supplying vessel in South Minahasa on Sunday.

The operation of the marine vessel power plant is part of the governments program to develop power plants with a combined capacity of 30 thousand megawatts to overcome electrical power deficit in several regions in the country.

"Hopefully, this national program will be successful so all areas in Indonesia will have electricity in the future," he said.

Sumarsono, who is also director general of regional autonomy at the Home Affairs Ministry asked South Minahasa district head Rene Hosang to help secure the vessel while it is in the district.

The Santiago military district command 131 will also deploy its personnel everyday to safeguard the vessel, he said.

He expressed the hope the operation of the vessel will deal with electrical power crisis in the provinces of North Sulawesi and Gorontalo.

"The power crisis has become cause for major concern in the two neighboring provinces. Mr Habibie (Gorontalo Governor Rusli Habibie) and I have been protested almost everyday in case of power blackout," he said. (WDY)