BSE starts construction of Bantaeng coal-fired plant

Malaysia?s BTN Power Sdn Bhd through its Indonesian joint venture company PT Bantaeng Sigma Energi (BSE) has started the construction of a 2x300 MW coal-fired power plant in Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi, with a ground breaking ceremony on Thursday.

BSE is majority owned by BTN Power and other partners including PT Biidznillah Tambang Nusantara and PT Infinity Capital.

Indonesia?s state-owned electricity firm PLN said in a statement that China Machinery Engineering Construction (CMEC) has won the EPC tender for the US$1.1 billion power plant project, which is expected to be completed in 8 months.

?The coal supply will come from BTN Group mine in South Kalimantan,? said Dato Naziruddin of BTN, adding that a planned jetty is expected to be completed at the end of the first semester of next year.

The plant, located in the Bantaeng Industrial Park (BIP), will also supply its electricity to eight smelters planned to be developed at BIP. BTN Power is expected to sign power supply deal with the eight companies soon, the statement said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak