Keepers of the Light in Narmada

Musdah and Saimun have encountered various incidents, including being threatened by local people because the electricity went out several times.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Saimun (left) and Musdah

For nearly 15 years, Musdah and Saimun have ensured the availability of electricity in Selenaik hamlet of Sedau village, Narmada district, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. They have encountered various incidents, including being threatened by local people because the electricity went out several times.

"When there was a power outage at someone’s house, they often got angry and came to my house. In fact, I was once threatened by a resident with a machete,” Musdah (52) said in an interview at his home in late January 2021.

Musdah and his colleague Saimun are the operators of the Selenaik 1 micro-hydro power plant (PLTMH) in Sedau village, Narmada district. They take turns taking care of the power plant.

During the rainy season, which we’re in now, the water flow is good. It can reach 400 liters per second.

Built by the West Nusa Tenggara Mining and Energy Office in 2006, the 25-kilowatt (kW) power plant utilizes the Sesaot River stream to drive a turbine. Its electric power serves 128 households in Selenaik.

Because it depends on the river stream, the electricity supply from the power plant is unstable. During the dry season, between April and August, the water stream is at its lowest, which is around 250 liters per second, which means less power is generated. Not infrequently, this results in blackouts, occur because demand for electricity exceeds the capacity of the generator.

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"During the rainy season, which we’re in now, the water flow is good. It can reach 400 liters per second. However, the rapid river stream is also sometimes worrisome. I\'m afraid it will sink the turbine,” said Saimun.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Illustration. The flow of the Mbakuhau river which is used for a Micro Hydro Power Plant (PLTMH) in Kamanggih Sophisticated Village, Kahaungu Eti District, East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday (2/2/2021).

The Selenaik 1 turbine is right on the river bank, almost 2 kilometers from residential areas. Besides serving as a generator engine operator, Musdah also collects money from residents amounting to Rp 20,000 per month per house, regardless of the electricity they use. Unfortunately, lately people have not been paying the bill.

"According to our calculation, the arrears of residents have reached around Rp 10 million," said Musdah, while looking at the logbook.

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Musdah admitted that the residents in his village were not yet fully aware that the electricity they were enjoying came from a power plant that was not operated by state-owned electricity company PLN. Moreover, the plant relies on the river flow, not on giant PLN power plants, such as coal-fired steam power plants (PLTU).

What they did know, he continued, was that the electricity had to stay on, because the residents felt that they had already paid dues every month.

The important thing is that residents can enjoy electricity.

When the government provided an electricity bill waiver for PLN customers using 450-volt-ampere electricity to reduce people’s financial burden during the Covid-19 pandemic, residents asked for the same treatment enjoyed by PLN customers.

"They thought I am a PLN [employee]. They demanded the free electricity service they had heard about in the news. But it\'s okay. The important thing is that residents can enjoy electricity," said Musdah.

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Together with Saimun, Musdah must explain to the residents that the electricity they are enjoying comes from an independent power generator, not from PLN. The two of them also reminded residents that the fees they pay are needed to cover the operating costs of the turbine.

If there are parts that are damaged and need to be replaced, they buy the parts using the money from the collected fees.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Illustration. Residents build a dam for a micro-hydro power plant using the Welo River in Sokokembang Hamlet, Kayupuring Village, Petungkriyono District, Pekalongan Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (19/9/2018).

Self-taught

Musdah is not a technician. On a daily basis, apart from operating the turbine, he is a farmer and rancher. Musdah also has no technical education background, having graduated only from high school (SMA). He taught himself to operate the turbine.

Meanwhile, Saimun graduated from a mechanical engineering school (STM) in Narmada. Even though he is familiar with machines, operating a power generator turbine was new to him. If there is a minor malfunction in the turbine, he takes the courage to tamper with the engine.

"If there are damaged parts, I try to look for them at shops in the city. I have acquaintances with several workshops,” said Saimun.

Even though there is no maintenance fee, we will continue to maintain this machine

Turbine failures can happen anytime. Once, the power plant stopped working in the early hours of the morning. Taking turns, Musdah and Saimun went down to check the location of the generator right away. They had to find out exactly what was causing the blackout.

“This turbine engine is the only electricity supplier to our residents. So, it must be maintained properly. Even though there is no maintenance fee, we will continue to maintain this machine,” said Musdah.

Government data show that the electrification ratio in West Nusa Tenggara reached 99 percent by 2020. The electrification ratio is the percentage of people enjoying electricity in an area.

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The government had proclaimed a target of reaching a national electrification ratio of 100 percent by 2020, but various constraints mean the national electrification ratio has reached only 99.2 percent.

The gap of nearly 1 percent affects people in remote areas that are not reached by PLN’s electricity network.

It is not easy to extend large power networks to such areas, but it is possible to harness renewable energy sources available there. The abundant renewable energy potential ranging from solar and wind to hydropower and biomass energy could meet people\'s electricity needs if managed properly.

"We take advantage of existing resources. Indonesia has been an independent country for 75 years. We cannot accept the fact that there are still people that live without electricity,” said Musdah. (RAZ/ICH/ZAK)

Musdah

Born: West Lombok, 31 December 1968 Education: SMA

Saimun

Born: West Lombok, 1 July 1967

Education: STM

This article was translated by Kurniawan H. Siswoko.