PLN says PLTU Indramayu power project won?t be delayed despite court ruling

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN said that the 2x1,000 MW PLTU Indramayu 2 coal-fired power plant project in Indramayu, West Java Province, won?t be delayed despite a recent court ruling revoking the environmental permit of the project, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Thursday.

The State Administrative Court on December 6 revoked the environmental permit of the project, issued by the Indramayu regency administration, following protest from villagers and NGO.

According to PLN Director of Business for central part of Java region, Amir Rosyidin, the court made the ruling because the environment permit was issued by regency administration, while existing regulation requires environmental permit from the provincial administration.

Amir said, however, that the court does not say anything about suspending the power plant project. He said that PLN will seek a new permit from the West Java provincial administration. He said that environmental permit for power plant project in the past was only required from regency administration, but new regulation requires permit from provincial administration.

He said that while processing the new environmental permit, PLN will press ahead with preparations to start construction next year in the hope that the power plant project can start operation in 2021 as planned.

The estimated US$4 billion power plant project is funded by the Japan for International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

This is the second coal-fired power plant project hampered by the court this year. Earlier in April, the PTUN also revoked the environmental permit of the 1,000 PLTU Cirebon II coal-fired power plant project in West Java Province following lawsuit filed by villagers and NGOs. But the provincial administration in July issued a new environmental permit, allowing project owner PT Cirebon Energi Prasarana to resume construction. (*)