China?s Suntech to build power plants in N. Sumatra

China?s giant Suntech Holding Power has expressed interest in investing in power plant projects in North Sumatra, which has been suffering from electricity shortage for years.

?We?re very interested in investing in North Sumatra particularly in power plant development,? John Lin, a representative of Suntech, told reporters Thursday following a meeting with Vice Governor of North Sumatra, Tengku Erry Nuradi in the provincial capital of Medan.

Erry said that the provincial govenrment welcomes the plan by Suntech, which he said could help resolve the lingering electricity shortage in the province. He said that the electricity demand in the province reaches about 1,650 MW pr day, while supply from state-owned utility is only about 1,500 MW per day, resulting in supply gap of 150 MW per day.

He added that electricity demand in the province has been growing at a rate of 7-10 percent per year.

Erry said the provincial government welcomes investment in electricity projects in the province under the built operate and transfer (BOT) scheme, under which the local administration has the responsibility of providing the necessary land for the project. (*)