PLN to build two hydropower plants in Sumatra

State electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will build two hydropower plants in North Sumatra and Aceh provinces to cope with the power shortage in the two provinces, the company?s top official said.

PLN president director Dahlan Iskan said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the company named last month a consortium of Hyundai and PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) Tbk as the winner to conduct an engineering, procurement and contract (EPC) for the power plant, which would have a combined capacity of 149 megawatt (MW).

The construction works of the Rp 3 trillion hydropower plant is under way and is expected to be completed in 2013. The plant will be located in Takengon, capital of Central Aceh regency, with capacity of 89 MW.

The second hydropower plant will be built in North Sumatra with a capacity of 60 megawatt in cooperation with the private sector, Dahlan said, adding that the power plant would operate as an independent power producer.

A consortium of Wampu Electric Power and two South Korean companies Daewoo and Korea Midland Power (Komipo) has won the project and would soon begin its construction works, Dahlan said. He hoped the power plant would also begin commercial operation at the end of 2013.

?Tomorrow, the power purchase agreement for the power plant will be signed,? Dahlan said. (*)