PLN to build PLTA Jatigede

State owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will build a 2x55 MW PLTA Jatigede hydropower plant in Tomo and Jatigede districts in Sumedang regency, West Java.

The construction of the hydropower plant is scheduled to start in early 2015 with Commercial Operation Date (COD) expected in 2018, PLN said in a statement on Tuesday.

The power plant will utilize water from the Jatigede dam which is being built by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. Once finished, the Jatigede dam will be the country?s second largest after the Jatiluhur dam in Purwakarta, also in West Java.

The development of the Jatigede dam with an investment of Rp 1.15 trillion is affecting 4,983 ha of lands and 11,449 families. Water is scheduled to start flowing into the dam in July 2015.

Based on Hydropower Potential Study, Indonesia has 75,000 MW hydropower potentials, including 25,600 MW considered as ?feasible for development?. Thus far, only around 4,000 MW or 6 percent of the potentials have been developed. A total of 6,400 MW is planned to be developed in the next 10 years by the government, PLN or private companies.

The ?Hydropower Masterplan?, which was drafted by the govenrment and PLN since 2011, recommends the development of 12,900 MW hydropower plant through 2027, PLN said.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon