PLN retender W. Kalimantan power plant

State electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has decided to call for retender for the construction of 2x55 MW Parit Baru coal-fired power plant in Pontianak regency, West Kalimantan because the bidders offered the price higher than the ceiling price.

?Previously, the tender was held in December 2006 but it failed due to the over ceiling price or the building costs much higher than the PLN?s proposed figure,? Antara quoted PLN?s general manager for West Kalimantan Djoko Suwono as saying.

?The decision to retender was made by PLN headquarters. We hope that the project will be realized very soon so that we can overcome the present power crisis,? Djoko said

At present, the retender process has entered into the phase of bidding preparation. The building of power plant scheduled to begin in 2008, he added.

The construction of the Parit Baru coal-fired power plant will be financed by government loan amounting to around US$103 million secured from the government of China under G to G scheme.

Earlier, the four Chinese contractors are short-listed as qualified by the Government of the People?s Republic of China, namely Dongfang Electric Corporations, China National Technical Import & Export Corporation (CNTIC), China International Trust and Investment Company (CITIC) and China national Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), have submitted bid document for the construction of Parit Baru coal-fired power plant project, with bid price at US$1.4 million per megawatt. (*)