MEMR mulls taking over from PLN tender process of 35GW projects

By Godang Sitompul

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) is considering to take over from state-owned electricity firm PT PLN tender process for the 35,000 MW power plant projects amid slow progress.

This was said by ministry Spokesman Sujatmiko on Thursday. ?If needed, the MEMR will issue a policy to take over the tender of the power plant projects,? he said.

He said that without breakthrough to accelerate the 35,000 MW power plant projects, it is feared that they would not be completed by 2019 as promised by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The current administration has launched a five-year program to develop a combined 35,000 MW power plants until 2019 in a bid to help accelerate economic growth in this Southeast Asia?s largest economy. About 25,000 MW of the planned power plants would be developed by private investors, while the remainder by PLN.

Jokowi on May 13 warned of the slow progress in the realization of the 35,000 MW projects, urging the MEMR to make a thorough evaluation from tender process held by PLN to management of the projects.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak