President to inaugurate Labuan power plant in September

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to officially inaugurate in September the operation of the 2x300 MW Labuan coal-fired power plant in Banten, one of several major coal-fired power plants built under the first 10,000 MW power plant development program, Investor daily reported Monday

?We have completed the construction works, and we hope the plant would be able to begin operation in September,? said Natal Argawan, the corporate secretary of state owned construction firm PT Wijaya Karya Tbk (Wika).

The Labuan power plant started construction in April 2007 with the consortium of Chengda Engineering Corporation and PT Truba Jurong Engineering as the engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractor and PT Wika as the sub-contractor.

Wika handled the civil construction works of the project under a contract worth Rp 398.2 billion (1US$ = Rp 10,028).

?We also build the plant?s coal receiving terminal under a contract worth about Rp 403 billion,? he said.

Meanwhile, project manager Eko Susilo Prayitno said the construction of the power plant has been completed around 99 percent and the first generator is expected to start commercial operation in September this year and the second generator in December this year.(*)