Batang power plant construction protested by local people

The development of the coal-fired power plant Batang in Central Java with a generation capacity of 2,000 megawatt (MW) is being hurdled by a protest launched by around 120 villagers from Batang area in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta.

They came on Tuesday to the embassy, bringing with them a number of banners that read 'Reject coal-fired power plant' and 'Choose clean environment', as reported by Japandailypress.com on Tuesday.

The $4 billion project will be constructed by a consortium of Indonesian and Japanese companies, namely Japanese state utility Electric Power Development Co. and Japanese trading firm Itochu Corp. and PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia. It's construction is scheduled to start later this year if land acquisitions can be finalized on time, and its commercial operation is expected in 2016.

The protesters also handed over to an embassy representative a letter for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, asking him to halt the 2,000-megawatt power plant project.

Reportedly, a number of local residents have objections about the project, complaining about potential pollution to the environment. Other local people have been also seeking to raise the purchase price for their land on which the plant will be built.

The project, one of the biggest in Southeast Asia, was supposed to have started last year but encountered a few problems with land acquisition. 50 landowners in the area have refused to sell their land totalling 40 hectares, and making up 20% of the whole site for the plant.

They now have to finalize the land purchase by October 6 or else PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia, the local company established for this project, will lose the right to construct the plant. (*)