4 
sumer’s) voltage portion (below 300 volts) has a grounded neutral 
point. 
Lightning has caused frequent interruption of the electrical service 
between generating plants and the towns and villages in west Java, 
and the Government is continually experimenting with the new types 
of protective equipment. Horn gap arresters are used to some extent. 
At present the Government is experimenting with an arrester made 
by an American firm. 
ELECTRICITY IN INDUSTRY 
THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 
Java’s most important industry, the sugar industry, offers one of 
the best potential markets for electrical equipment. At present most 
of the mills produce their own current, particularly since they all 
have an ample supply of cheap fuel in the form of bagasse, by-product 
of the sugarcane. As the transmission lines of the public-utility 
companies are extended into the sugar-growing area and power costs 
become cheaper, perhaps the mills will find it cheaper to avail them- 
selves of public-utility power; but until that time they will continue 
“0 make their own. 
In the 188 sugar mills there are over 500 motors installed, most of 
which generate current for lighting purposes. The generators are 
usually driven by small reciprocating steam engines, as steam is 
always available for power purposes during the grinding season. The 
small generators vary in size from 10 kilovolt amperes to 200 kilovolt 
amperes capacity, but the majority are of about 25 kilovolt amperes 
capacity. Direct current is used almost exclusively for lighting 
purposes by the sugar mills, and the voltages are usually 110/115 and 
220/230, the former being the most common. 
Twenty-five mills are using power more extensively, and have 
installed facilities for the operation of electrically-driven centrifugals. 
These 25 mills have over 600 centrifugals installed; the majority are 
driven by small alternating-current motors. These electrically- 
driven centrifugals are usually made in the Netherland East Indies 
by Dutch and German engineering firms. The centrifugals are 
direct coupled and are equipped with automatic switches for lifting 
she bowl. High-amperage, low-voltage motors are used for this work, 
Sixteen mills use electric current to such an extent that they have 
installed steam turbines that operate generators having capacities 
ranging from 400 to 1,600 kilovolt amperes. These mills have a total 
of 30 steam turbines installed and the total generator capacity is 
approximately 24,000 kilovolt amperes. Four of the mills are using 
direct current exclusively, and 26 are utilizing alternating. 
Ifour sugar mills in Java have been completely elegtrified. These 
mills have the largest motors in use in the Netherland East Indies. 
The first to install electrical equipment throughout was the Redjo 
Agoeng mill at Madioen, which was ready for operation in 1927. 
Three-phase current is used and the energy for the electric motors is 
supplied by. one 1,250 kilovolt ampere, 240-volt, 60-cycle constant- 
frequency turbogenerator and two 1,250 kilovolt ampere, 360/520- 
volt, 45/66-cycle variable-frequency turbogenerators. One of these 
surbogenerators is always in use and one is held in reserve. The 
turbogenerators supply power to five 250-horsepower slip ring induc-