China?s CMEC to invest in $100 million power plant in West Nusa Tenggara

China?s investment company China Metallurgical Equipment Corporation (CMEC) has agreed to invest in US$100 million coal-fired power plant in West Nusa Tenggara province, Bisnis Indonesia and Koran Tempo newspapers reported in their Monday edition.

West Nusa Tenggara?s provincial administration and CMEC had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard on Saturday in Mataram. The MoU was signed by the province?s Governor HL Serinata and CMEC?s senior economic expert Zhou Zheng.

Several investors have left the province due to inadequate electricity supply, Serinata said.

The province has a provision for 138.87 megawatts (MW) of electricity but state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) can able to provide only 86.32 MW. There is a shortage of 2.65 MW as the actual requirement is 88.97 MW. Still there are 8,000 households waiting for new electricity connections in the province.

West Nusa Tenggara has been renting power generators to generate at least 5 MW to meet the power shortages. (*)