Cilegon power project officially launched

The construction of the Cilegon power plant, one of the country's largest and combined cycle power plants, was officially launched on Thursday at a ceremony in Cilegon, Banten Province.

The commencement of the power plant project, which will have a capacity to produce of 740 megawatt (MW), was marked by the the arrival of the first unit of the power plant's gas turbines.

The power plant's general manager Yusuf Santoro said that the power plant would have two gas turbines (open cycle), each with a capacity of 240 MW, and a steam turbine with a capacity of 260 MW. "The steam turbine of the Cilegon plant is the most modern in the country," Yusuf added.

According to him, the two gas turbines are expected to begin operation in early 2006, while the steam turbine is scheduled to begin its operation in August, 2006. The construction of the power plant, which is scheduled for completion in 25 months, will cost about US$354 million.

Yusuf said that the power plant would receive a gas supply of about 55 million British thermal unit (mmbtu) per day from CNOOC. A 60 kilometer undersea pipeline is now under construction to transmit the gas from the company's offshore gas field. The price of the gas to be supplied to the Cilegon power plant has been fixed at US$3 per mmbtu. (dino)