PLN asked to complete ?Amdal? in three months

World?s major creditors, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have demanded state owned electricity company PLN to speed up the assessment of the environmental impacts (Amdal) of the company?s several electricity projects that would be partly financed by the two creditors, Bisnis Indonesia daily reported on Thursday.

PLN?s director for power generation and premier energy, Ali Herman Ibrahim, said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the two creditors had demanded PLN to complete the Amdal within three months.

The projects which would receive financial assistance from JBIC and ADB include the 110 MW Ulu Belu geothermal power in Lampung, the 330 MW Lumut Balai geothermal power plant in South Sumatera and the 60 MW Tompase Lehendong power plant in North Sulawesi.

Pertamina?s general manager for geothermal exploration and production, Sukusen Soemarinda, said that the construction of the Ulu Belu and Lumut Balai power plants would cost about US$750 million.

Pertamina which holds the concession rights of the country?s geothermal resources will be also involved in the geothermal power projects. (*)