Dutch firms plan to build marine current power plant in East Nusa Tenggara

A consortium of Dutch companies has expressed interest to develop a marine current power plant in East Nusa Tenggara province, taking advantage of the ocean currents of the Gonsalu Strait in Flores Timur Regency.

Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Public Works Office, Andre Koreh was quoted by tempo.co as saying Thursday that a team of the provincial administration had met with officials of the companies in The Netherlands in December of last year to discuss the project, and that representatives of the firms plan to visit in February the location of the planned project.

He said that according to Dutch turbine experts, the Gonsalu Strait currents have the potential to produce up to 300 MW of electricity.

Andre said that the province administration plans to meet with Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said about the need for a regulation on tariff of electricity produced by ocean current power plants, which is necessary for the investors to make the investment plan.(*)