9 firms submit bids for Pemalang power plant project

Of the 22 firms that picked up tender documents for the 2,000 MW Pemalang coal-fired power plant project in Central Java, nine have filled out the documents and sent them back to state owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

Included in the nine firms are Japanese firms Mitsui & Co. Ltd, Marubeni Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation.; Chinese firms China Huadian Engineering Co., Ltd, Shenhua Energy Company Ltd; Malaysian firm YTL Corporation Berhad; British firm International Power Plc.

?We are evaluating the submitted bidding documents and expect to announce the winner by the end of this year,? PLN?s Director of Planning and Technology Bambang Praptono said on Thursday.

The project will be developed under the independent power producer (IPP) scheme with PLN to buy the power supplies under a 30-year power purchasing agreement (PPA), Bambang explained.

The winner will be given until 2010 to close financing for the project that construction can be started in 2011. With a construction period of three years, the PLTU Pemalang power plant is expected to start operation in late 2013 or early 2014, he said. (godang)