Hydropower Investment - Where to?

Hydropower is always related to rainfall. Area that is dry (low rainfall) suppose to be not very attactive for hydropower investment. Let's take a look only on the rainfall information. According to the latest document of Bappenas, the Indonesia Climate Change Sectoral Roadmap (ICCSR), rainfall in all areas in Indonesia will change. The changes are either an increase or a decrease. The simulation reported that Sumatera and Papua will have mostly increases of rainfall. Download ICCSR report here.

In Sumatera, central to south Sumatera might have significant increase of rainfall intensity. Siginificant increase means bigger than 25 mm and lower than 50 mm. Central to North Sumatera might have significant increase and very significant increase (higher than 50 mm). In Papua, all areas will have significant increase of rainfall with some months might have very significant increases of rainfall intensity.

No One Helps the President

Everyone who seeks for justice goes to Jakarta and tries to get justice from the president. Those who are already desperate go to Jakarta. The latest case is actually a 15 years old case. A father from Malang, East Java, have walked more than 1000 kms to go to Jakarta and sees for justice. His son was a victim of traffic accident. His son is dead. The one who hit his son was a police officer. The police never went to jail. The father sees that as injustice so he went to Jakarta to get it from the president.

Not just justice that people ask from the president. The president also get blammed by many. For example in the case of exploding LPG cans. People blame the president for being silent and seems not doing anything. Another example is in the case of price hike. Recently prices are skyrocketing and has made inflation almost reached 1% in just one month. People blamed the president for seems not doing anything to cool down the price hike.

The Gasoline Problem

It was few months ago when the government started the campaign to reduce the consumption of subsidized gasoline. Not very long after that, there are many "fuel pump" problems. Fuel pumps get clogged and even burnt. Many found that there is something wrong with the gasoline (at least their preliminary conclusion). Not very long after that two big taxi operators also reported that hundreds not to mention thousands cars of their fleet also have fuel pump problems. This creates suspicion to the government. Many says that government through state owned oil company try to reduce the consumption of subsidized fuel (gasoline) by putting something bad in the liquid.

All the allegations have not been proved. No one still can not prove that either government or state own company or even the car user or the fuel station owner played dirty. The state own company defended it self to being strict to the standard. Everything come out from their refineries or central distribution points are tested according to the regulation and standard. There are no violations what so ever. Taxi operators even sent the fuel sample to an independent lab in Thailand for a test and the lab showed that the gasoline has too much sulfur content. Sulfur content is always a problem for the diesel fuel here in Indonesia. The quality of diesel fuel is not so clean. Sulfur content is a bit high so that advance common rail systems would not drink it. I am a bit afraid that the fuel station wrongly refuel the underground tanks. The one usually for diesel fuel is refilled with gasoline. They mix and increase sulfur content in the gasoline. But, how likely this is in reality? I guess zero.

Only the Bill that Makes People Worry....

world cup has made a slight increase on the power demand. world cup finals in south africa are played at night in Indonesia. time difference of approximately 4-6 hours between south africa and indonesia (jakarta) has created this situation. during the group matches the games are played between 6 p.m. to around 11 p.m. Indonesian time. In the knock out phase, the games are played between 9 p.m. to around 3 a.m. and semi finals are played at even later time. they starts at 1.30 a.m.. I guess the final will also be played at around 1.30 a.m..

for football fans, the knock out round, semi finals and final are the most interesting rounds of the world cup finals. this has made them stay awake longer than before. the longer those tvs on, the more electricity is consumed. however there are also people that prefer watching the matches with friends or colleagues. this means they watch the tv not at home and maybe only one tv on for, let's say 5-10 people. this has made significant power saving compared to one tv for 1-2 people only. In Indonesia, only the national broadcaster that broadcast the matches. sattelite or pay tv customers are not able to see it via the subscription tv. this might further reduce the possibilities of more tv to be on at late night.