PLN starts construction of two power plants in Papua

State owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has started the consruction of two power plants, that is a coal-fired power plant and a hydropower plant, in Papua, The Jakarta Post reported on Monday.

The projects aim to reduce PLN?s dependency on diesel for power generation in the region, the newspaper said.

The two plants, each with a capacity of 2x10 megawatts, are expected to start operation next year.

The construction works on the coal-fired power plant at Muara Tami district has reached 30 percent while the construction of the hydro power plant project at Genyem District officially started on Saturday. PLN invests Rp 350 billion for the hydrpower plant with financing provided by Asian Development Bank.

?We hope to have the hydropower plant operational by November 2011,? Vickner Sinaga, PLN's operational director for eastern Indonesia, said during the ceremony to inaugurate the beginning of the construction on Saturday.

He said the two plants would be able to overcome the current 3-percent deficit in power supply in the region. (*)