Pertamina, PLN obtain USTDA grants for energy development in Aceh

U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has recently awarded a total of US$1,310,950 grant to state-owned companies PT Pertamina and PT PLN for tsunami-related reconstruction efforts in energy sector in Aceh.

The first two grants, valued at $589,000 and $327,300, respectively, were awarded to Pertamina for a study intended to assess the technical and economic feasibility of developing a geothermal power plant at Seulawah Agam in Aceh.

Pertamina has selected Stone and Webster of Boston, Massachusetts to conduct the feasibility study.

The second USTDA grant to Pertamina will be allocated to fund a feasibility study on the requirements for repairing, modernizing, and potentially relocating the heavily damaged Krueng Raya and Meulaboh fuel depots in the same province.

Meanwhile, the third grant, valued at $394,650, was awarded to PLN for a feasibility study on the construction and upgrade of power transmission lines in Aceh necessary because of the large-scale destruction of transmission and distribution assets in the tsunami impact zone.

This year, USTDA has identified 17 projects related to tsunami reconstruction efforts in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India that are eligible for potential grant funding by the agency.

These projects amount to over $6 million in collaborative efforts in energy, emergency communication, transportation, and environmental projects that offer significant opportunities for U.S. commercial involvement. (Robert)