Japanese, Chinese firms eye Cirebon power project

Several Japanese and Chinese firms have expressed interest in the coal-fired 600-MW power plant project planned by state electricity firm PT PLN in Cirebon, West Java.

?They have approached us and made inquiries about the project. We are waiting for the government to kick off the tender for the project,? PLN?s director of primary energy and power generation Ali Herman Ibrahim said on Tuesday.

The Japanese firms include J Power, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo. Ali, however, did not identify the Chinese firms.

PLN initially planned to build the power plant in Cilegon, an industrial town in Banten province with the capacity of 450 MW. It later relocated the project to Cirebon with the capacity increased to 600 MW on the grounds that there are already several power plants in Cilegon.

The Cirebon power plant is expected to come on stream in 2010, while the tender for the project is expected to start late this month or next month.

?The government will announce the tender either late this month or next month (August),? Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro has said. (Godang)