Geo Dipa to resume Dieng, Patuha geothermal projects as court case ends
Friday, September 1 2017 - 01:57 AM WIB
State-owned geothermal power company PT Geo Dipa Energi said it will resume construction of unit 2 and 3 of the PLTP Dieng geothermal power plant project in Central Java, and PLTP Patuha project in West Java.
Geo Dipa President Director Riki F. Ibrahim said on Thursday that the PLTP projects will be resumed after the South Jakarta District Court acquitted on Wednesday former company president director Samsudin Warsa from fraud charges in relation to 2012 tender process of the two projects. ?We?ll immediately resume the two projects,? he said.
The company suspended the two PLTP projects after PT Bumigas Energi, which initially won the EPC tender in 2003, filed lawsuit against Samsudin for alleged fraud when conducting a repeat tender in 2012 and appointed a new EPC contractor. Geo Dipa held a repeat tender after Bumigas failed to secure additional funds for the projects from a Hong Kong lender. Bumigas said at the time that this was because Geo Dipa could not provide the requested geothermal concession permit to the lender.
The Dieng and Patuha geothermal working areas, each has potential for up to 400 MW power plant capacity. So far, Geo Dipa has developed a 60 MW power plant (unit 1) at each working area. The company will proceed with the construction of the unit 2 and 3 at each of the geothermal area.
Geo Dipa obtained concession rights over the Dieng and Patuha geothermal working areas in 2002. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources reaffirmed the status in early this year.
The company has recently been appointed by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to also develop the Arjuno Welirang geothermal working area with power generating potential of 200 MW, and Candi Umbul Telomoyo working area with potential of 100 MW.
Meanwhile, Riki said that his company is eying three additional geothermal working areas located in the eastern part of the country, hoping it could obtain them at the end of this year or early next year.
?Geo Dipa seeks to expand to eastern Indonesia in East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Sulawesi. We want to develop PLTPs there,? he said to Petromindo.com, but did not provide details.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak