PLTU Batang to achieve financial closing by April 2016

By Cepi Setiadi

PLTU Batang coal fired power plant project in Central Java is projected to achieve financial closing by April 6, 2016, a senior official of public utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) (PLN) said on Thursday.

Supangkat Iwan Santoso, Director of Procurement at PLN, said a major obstacle for the financial closing has been cleared following the recent ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia (BPI)

"Following the Supreme Court?s ruling, hopefully BPI can achieve financial closing by April 6," he told journalists in a press conference,

Supangkat said while the process to achieve financial closing is now in progress, preparations for ground breaking at the project?s site are being held.

As reported earlier in this portal, the Supreme Court on Feb. 24 confirmed an earlier ruling issued by the Semarang District Court in Central Java in favor of BPI.

A villager had previously filed a lawsuit challenging a Central Java governor ruling on the allocation of land in Batang for the planned 2x1,000 MW coal-fired power plant. The villager?s land is affected by the project.

BPI is a consortium comprising of IDX-listed coal mining firm PT Adaro Energy Tbk, Itochu and J-Power.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon