GDF Suez to start Muara Laboh power plant project in 2013

GDF Suez Energy International, a global energy firm based in France, said it would start construction of a geothermal power plant in Muara Laboh, West Sumatra, in mid 2013.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2017.

"Currently we are in the process of securing a number of licenses from related agencies to start work in the middle of next year," Willem Van Twembeke, the CEO of GDF Suez Energy Asia said here on Wednesday as reported by Antara.

GDF Suez also plans to build two other geothermal projects in Rantau Dedap and Rajabasa, both in Lampung.

Construction of the two units will follow six months after PLTP Muara Laboh.

GDF owns a 35 percent stake in the three units of PLTP with a total capacity of 680 MW, all to be operational in 2017.

GDF Suez also has a 40.5 percent stake in PT Paiton Energi the largest Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Indonesia.

The company operates the third unit of Paiton, a coal fired power plant complex with a capacity of 2,035 MW.(*)