The fate of remote MHP...

The government is not learning at all. There is no coordination in implementing projects. Different departments doing the same kind of thing without telling each other. Standard is not enforced. Bad planning is practiced. A sad story for people receiving the project result.

This is happen for micro hydro projects. Department of Energy is doing it; Department of Cooperative is doing it; Ministry of Underprivileged Area is also doing it. No one talk to each other. Department of Energy implement the projects in a relatively better way. Technically each site are examined so that the investment will not just be wasted. Department of cooperative also do it relatively better because of strong counterpart. The sad one is for Ministry of Underpriviledged Area (PDT - Pembangunan Daerah Tertinggal).

PDT use this standard: 950 million IDR for 20 kW micro hydro plant where ever it will be constructed. Addition of budget is possible for considerably remote area such as Papua (but the addition still not enough). PDT usually does projects in remote areas especially in the border area. Politically this is OK, but technically the plant is usually done poorly. The identification team usually did not do the job well. For example a 10 meter head with 60 liters of water per second must produce 11 kW of power (do not laugh..this is true in Long Berang). The planning team did not plan well (usually done by consultant) and the tender team does not know technical aspect at all. Contractor that knows better micro hydro and make some suggestions to make the scheme better will not win the contract. Contractor that has 10 years experience lose a contract because of some 20 pages profile fake companies (that usually sell the project to other companies - a.k.a project broker). This is sad, but the government does not do anything, at least maybe not yet.

In the field the result is also very poor. In Long Berang, the scheme was only in operation for 3 weeks and then it is broken. Millions of Rupiah just gone...and the people do not benefit from it.

I personally in the opinion that such projects should be done by proper department i.e. Department of energy. Although not 100% perfect but DoE can enforce certain standards and really know technical aspects of it (even the tender team or they call it tender committee knows technical aspect of micro hydro). If PDT or cooperative department want to support then provide supports on the soft component of micro hydro scheme such as community organizing, productive use development etc...

But, this might still be a dream. Let's hope that the government realize the mistake and take serious step on it. When it is about money...I still have to dream about this...but still I hope and pray.