PLN, Equis sign agreement to build wind farm in S. Sulawesi

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN on Monday signed an agreement with Equis, a Singapore investment company specializing in Asian energy and infrastructure sectors, to develop a combined 60 MW wind power in Jenepento, South Sulawesi.

The agreement was signed by Business Director of PLN?s Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara Regional Office, Machnizon Masri, and Equis Director Timothy Russel in Copenhagen, Denmark, witnessed among others by Indonesian State Minister of State Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Detik.com reported.

The report said that Equis will invest between US$120 million and $150 million in the project. Danish company Vestas, a leading manufacturer of wind turbines in the world, will act as EPC contractor of the 30-ha wind farm project, where 21 wind turbines will be developed, each with a capacity of 3-3.5 MW.

Electricity output from the wind farm will be sold to PLN at a tariff of 10.89 US cents per kWh, Rini said.

Petromindo.com reported in April that leading global wind farm developer UPC Renewables plans to build a giant wind farm with a capacity of 70 MW in Sidenreng Rappang (Sidrap) regency in South Sulawesi with financing from the US government-owned financial firm Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The wind power was targeted to start commercial operation in May 2017. (*)