PT Inco gets principal permit to build hydropower project
Tuesday, June 19 2007 - 01:58 AM WIB
JSX-listed nickel miner PT International Nickel Indonesia (PT Inco) would realize soon the building of a 90-MW Karebbe hydro power plant in South Sulawesi following the issuance of principal permit from the Forestry Ministry, Bisnis Indonesia Daily reported on Tuesday.
The company’s President Director Arif Siregar disclosed that the company had provided US$285 million for the project. “We have no plan to commercialize the power plant but some three megawatt of its output would be allocated to the surrounding community, “ said Siregar in Jakarta on Monday.
A lack of permit from the Ministry of forestry has caused Inco to delay expansion works that was initially projected to increase its output by 20 percent to 200 million pound annually starting from 2009. “If the permit could be issued soon, expansion plan would be completed in 2010,” Siregar said on 28 Feb 2007.
Aside from Sorowako, PT Inco operates nickel mines in other two locations in Bahudopi, Central Sulawesi and Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi.
The company currently has two hydropower plants– the Larona hydropower plant with a capacity of 165 MW and the Balambano hydropower plant with a capacity of 110 MW. (*)