PLN urged to stop Pemaron power project

The Working Group on Power Sector (WGPSR), a non-government organization specializing in electricity sector, has urged state owned electricity company PT PLN and its subsidiary PT Indonesia Power to stop the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Pemaron, Bali, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Monday.

Fabby Tumiwa, the chairman of WGPSR, said in Jakarta last week that the construction of the power plant should be stopped because it did not only violate existing procedures in the construction of a new power plant in the country but also due to the fact that the power project was not based on proper environmental impact assessment (AMDAL) and the least cost principle.

He said that according to the new electricity law, a construction of a new power plant that will be linked to the country’s electricity system should receive a permit from the ministry of energy and mineral resources, while the Pemaron power plant is built based on a permit from the local regent.

Fabby also said that the AMDAL document issued by PT Amythass Experts Association for the Pemaron power plant was not properly made. “In fact, the governor of Bali has also asked to stop the project due to its bad environmental impact,” he said.

The local agency for environmental impact management (Bapedalda) has urged Indonesia Power and PLN to relocate the construction of the new power project to Celukan Bawang, another location in Bali. (*)