PLN ready to build 10 coal-fired power plants

Despite that its president is now under police custody, state elecricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) is ready to build 10 coal-fired power plants, which are parts of the government?s crash program to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity by 2010, the Kompas newspaper reported in its Friday edition.

PLN's president Eddie Widiono is now under police custody on corruption charges.

The projects will be awarded to contractors either through limited tender or direct appointment system, PLN spokesman Murtaqi Syamsuddin was quoted as saying in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said PLN management has already appointed 14 persons in-charge of the 10 projects as well as other power plant projects to be developed by independent power producers (IPPs).

The persons will form their own team. They will be responsible for finding location, processing permits, coordinating contractors and supervising the development of the projects until they are ready for operation.

"Whereas the funding will be the responsibility of the corporate,? Murtaqi said.

In order to overcome the power crisis and reduce the dependency on fuel-fired power plants, the government has planned two programs to build power plants with a total capacity of 20,000 MW. The projects will be developed by PLN and IPPs.

PLN?s acting president Djuanda Nugraha Ibrahim said his company is still waiting for the government to issue a legal umbrella, including a presidential decree, for PLN to carry out the projects.

?The government has set the end of August as the deadline for contract signing. It means just 3.5 months were left. It is too short time for the tender process,? Djuanda said.

List of Power Project
PLN's Project	(MW)	IPP Project	(MW)
PLTU Jabar Selatan	2 x 300	PLTU Madura	2 x 65
PLTU Jatim Selatan	2 x 300	PLTG Bojonegoro	2 x 740
PLTU Labuan	300	PLTU Indramayu	2 x 300
PLTU Marunda	600	PLTU Nusa Penida	2 x 100
PLTU Rembang	2 x 300	PLTGU Anyer	380
PLTU Suralaya	2 x 600	PLTU OKU Timur	2 x 100
PLTU Teluk Naga	2 x 300	PLTA Poso	2 x 60
PLTU Jabar Utara	2 x 300	PLTU Musi Banyuasin	2 x 100
PLTU Awar-Awar	600	PLTU Baturaja	2 x 100
PLTU Paiton Baru	2 x 600	PLTU Mulut Tambang	1 x 100
		PLTU Karang Tanjung	2 x 100
		PLTU Tanjung	2 x 65
		PLTU Arakan	4 x 600
		PLTU Bangko	4 x 600
		PLTU Musi Rawas	2 x 600
Note: PLTU=Coal-fired power plant; PLTG=Gas-fired power plant; PLTGU=Combined-cycle power plant;PLTA=Hydro power plant