Four ministers study Memberamo power plant
Saturday, March 24 2001 - 05:00 AM WIB
The government is currently studying the development of the giant water-powered power plant in Memberamo, Irian Jaya, that has the potency to generate about 10,000 megawatt of electricity.
The chairman of the Foundation for the Development of Irian Jaya Autonomy, Dance Y. Flassy, told a meeting between a number of ministers and local officials in the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura on Friday (March 23) that three units of power generators would be built in the Memberamo power plant project, with Memberamo Unit I having capacity of 5,600 MW of electricity, Memberamo II with 3,400 MW and Memberamo III with 1,000 MW.
Flassy said that for the first stage, the local administration was set to materialize the development of Memberamo I during the period of the special autonomy given by the central government.
Those attending the meeting included Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar, Minister of Industry and Trade Luhut B. Pandjaitan and Junior Minister for the Development of Eastern Indonesia Manuel Kaisiepo, Irian Jaya Governor JP Solossa and Irian Jaya Legislative Council Deputy Speaker John Ibo.
Flassy noted that a number of investors, including foreign investors, had expressed their interests in the development of the power plant and also in investing in a number of industries around the project.
He explained that investors from the United Status had expressed their interests in building ship docking facilities, pulp and paper plant and also the supplies of heavy equipment.
Investors from Australia had been interested in the development of steel, chemical and aluminum industries, petrochemical and fuel cell engine.
Germany investors wanted to invest in the steel, chemical, petrochemical and automotive industries, while Dutch investors wanted to build ports, industrial estates and townships.
The development of the Memberamo power plant is expected to need five to seven years to complete, while the development of port and related industries would need two to three years, agro-industries three to four years, heavy equipment six to seven years, fertilizer industry four to five years, and fuel cell engine three to four years.
Meanwhile, Jayapura regent Yan Karafir warned the central government that local administrations and local people be involved in the development of the power plant and industries surrounding the power plant.
"This should not happen again that Jakarta people talk with foreign investors in Jakarta, but the Jayapura regent and also local people do not know at all about that. If this still happens again, the investors will face troubles in the future," he said. (*)