Power plant projects in NTB, NTT begin construction

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan led a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday to officially start construction of a number of power plant projects with combined capacity of 350 MW in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provinces.

The ministry said in a statement on Friday that the power plant project are targeted for completion in 2018 and 2019. It added the minister also inaugurated the operation of a 50 MW coal-fired power plant in Lombok, NTB.

Jonan said that the power plant projects will help increase electrification ratio in the two provinces. ?The government is committed to increase electrification ratio to more than 93 percent by 2019, at least 96 percent, and if we work hard it could reach 99 percent,? he said as quoted by the statement.

The power plant projects which broke ground on Wednesday include the 150 MW Lombok peaker combined cycle power plant (PLTGU) located in Tanjung Karang Village, Mataram, NTB, which is targeted to be completed and start operation in February of 2019. Total investment is estimated at Rp 1.6 trillion.

The other projects are the Bima gas engine power plant (PLTMG) in Bima, NTB, with capacity of 50 MW and estimated investment of Rp 637 billion, which is targeted to start operation in October 2018; 50 MW Sumbawa PLTMG located in Sumbawa, which is targeted to be completed in October 2018; PLTMG Kupang Peaker with capacity of 40 MW and investment of Rp 700 billion, targeted for completion in November 2018; Rp 427 billion mobile power plant (MPP) with capacity of 20 MW on Flores Island; PLTMG Maumere with capacity of 40 MW and investment of Rp 694 billion in Sikka Regency, NTT; and Lombok Timur coal-fired power plant with capacity of 2x25 MW located in Lombok Timur Regency.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak