Gallant to build $150 million coal-fired power plant in Bintan

Gallant Consortium, the operator of tourist resort Bintan Island, will build a 100 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant at a cost of $150 million in an effort to develop Bintan as the biggest tourist resort in the world, the Bisnis Indonesia reported Monday.

According to PT Bintan Resort Corporation director Gunawan Adiwibowo, who is also the chairman of Indonesian Association of Tourist Resorts, Bintan has been using a power generator, which uses diesel as fuel. The management feels that the diesel-fired generator is expensive.

?So, we have set the target for building the power plant beginning June 2007,? Gunawan told the Bisnis on Sunday.

He mentioned that the construction work will take 18 to 24 months. After coordinating with the local authorities and the central government about the power plant plan, Gallant Ventures will soon call for tenders.

?Currently, the diesel generator has been supplying 24 MW for tourism sector and 12 MW for industrial zone. It's like an investment to develop Bintan through constructing power plant and the airport,? Gunawan said. (*)