Pertamina considers power generation business

By Godang Sitompul

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina is considering the possibility of entering power generation business after state-owned electricity firm PT. PLN said it would open the access of its electricity transmission and distribution network to independent power producers.

?This will help accelerate the development of our geothermal fields,? said Vice President for Gas and Power at Pertamina, Salis Aprilian told Petromindo.com Tuesday.

Salis said that the ?open access? policy of PLN would provide an opportunity for Pertamina to not only sell its upstream products such as gas and geothermal, but can utilize them to produce electricity to be sold to industrial consumers located near the gas or geothermal sources.

He quickly added, however, that such business scheme would depend on the availability of PLN?s transmission and distribution network capacity.

PLN President Director Nur Pamudji welcomes the plan by Pertamina to enter power generation business at a time when the country badly needs new electricity supply to avoid possible power crisis in the future. ?I think it?s a good thing,? he told Petromindo.com.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak