Antam to announce the winner of its power plant tender in March

State-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) will announce the winner of the tender for the construction of its coal-fired power plant in March this year, Kontan reported on Wednesday.

The company?s president director Alwin Syah Loebis said in Jakarta last week that as many as 18 companies joined the prequalification but only nine of them, all national companies, were short-listed to take part in the second stage of the bidding process.

Alwin said that the winner of the tender would provide about 80 percent of the total funds needed for the power project, and Antam would finance the remaining 20 percent.

Antam plans to build a coal-fired power plant with a capacity of 2 x 75 megawatt to meet the rising electricity need for the company?s processing plant in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi.

Feasibility study will be completed in February 2009, with construction expected to start in 2010, The company?s corporate secretary Bimo Budi Satriyo said on Sept 17, 2008. (*)