Construction of Sumatra-Java transmission cable to start May

Construction of a 500 kV transmission cable linking South Sumatra and West Java is scheduled to start in May of this year, a senior official at state-owned electricity firm PLN said.

Nasri Sebayang, Director for Construction and Renewable Energy at PLN, said Thursday that construction work will first focus on the onshore transmission cable as the company is still in the process of completing tender for underwater part of the project.

He said that the entire 700 Km South Sumatra-West Java transmission cable and its related facilities are targeted to be completed in 2019 in line with the completion of a number of coal-fired power plant projects with combined capacity of 3,000 MW in South Sumatra.

Investment requirement for the transmission cable project is estimated at US$2 billion, the bulk of which to be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Elsewhere, Nasri said that tender process to select contractors for the construction of the underwater portion of the transmission cable is expected to be completed in June of this year.

Meanwhile, tender for the construction of the converter/inverter and mother stations are scheduled to be completed end of this year. (*)