Govt decides to relocate Cilamaya seaport project

By Febry Silaban

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday the government has decided to relocate the Cilamaya seaport port to prevent potential troubles it may cause on oil and gas activities.

The seaport project was initially planned in a Cilamaya coastal area in Karawang regency, West Java. Kalla said the project should now be moved to another location eastward, either in Subang or Indramayu regencies.

?Indeed, we need a seaport in West Java. But we also need gas. Thus we have to find a compromise solution,? Kalla said during a visit to Karawang.

Cilamaya was chosen as the location of the seaport project by the previous government after evaluating several other alternatives. It is close to industrial parks in Karawang. However, the selection of the location drew protests from state owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina as it is close to the ONWJ block operated by PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE). It is feared that some vessels may hit rigs at the block. ONWJ is the main supplier of gas to Jakarta and surrounding areas.

Kalla said the government has not yet decided where will the project be relocated to.

?We are looking for a safer location,? Kalla said.

According to Kalla, there won?t be any losses if the project is moved to a new location as spending for the project has thus far been made only for preliminary study. ?There isn?t even any engineering study yet,? Kalla said.

He was accompanied by several top officials during the visit, including Coordinating Minister of the Economy Sofyan Djalil, Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Indroyono Soesilo, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said, Minister of Transportation Ignasius Jonan, Minister of National Development Planning/Head of National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Andrinof Chaniago, West Java?s Vice Governor Deddy Mizwar, Karawang Regent Cellica Nurrachadiana.

Dwi Soetjipto, President Director of Pertamina, who also joined the visit, said the project needs to be moved to a new location, ?which is not far from industrial parks in Karawang but would not cause troubles on oil and gas activities.?

Editing by Johannes Simbolon