Hydro power plants planned in Kalimantan
Monday, December 9 2013 - 01:44 AM WIB
East Kalimantan Licensing and Investment Board chairman Didi Rusdiansyah said the three companies planning to invest include Kayan Hydro Energi, which is set to invest Rp 7 trillion ($583 million) for the construction of a 700-megawatt capacity hydroelectric power plant, and Kalimantan Energy, which will invest Rp 110 trillion for the construction of a 330-megawatt renewable energy power plant.
?The proposals have been submitted, the construction is definite, it is only a matter of time,? Didi said as quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying Monday.
?In the future, East Kalimantan?s demand for electricity will be supplied from North Kalimantan. If this power plant construction plan is done, North Kalimantan will experience a surplus of electricity.?
Another company, Energy Power Indonesia, also plans to build a 6,300-megawatt hydroelectric power plant, he added.
?The plan is to invest up to Rp 178 trillion. Investing in hydroelectric power plants is not cheap,? Didi said.
However, he emphasized that construction will take awhile before starting.
The companies will have to undergo a long process before they can obtain the necessary permits and licenses from the regional and central governments and from other related institutions, he continued.
?All the companies have conducted their reviews of the hydroelectric power plant construction. The Bulungan district has water resources that could be used as a source of energy. The region has a hilly topography, allowing water to flow continuously from higher areas to lower regions,? Didi said.
Several other companies are also studying the possibilities of a hydroelectricity power plant construction near the Mahakam Ulu river in East Kalimantan, which another area that is seen as a potential site thanks to its swift current.
?One company wants to study the area as a source of energy, and we support this research,? Didi said. (*)