RI invites bids for power plants
Saturday, March 18 2006 - 02:28 AM WIB
The government plans to invite bids next week from the private sector to build seven power plants and sell the electricity to PLN, helping the state-owned utility cut costs, The Jakarta Post reported on Saturday.
The government will seek offers to build one gas-fired and six coal-fired plants in North Sumatra, Java and North Sulawesi, Yogo Pratomo, director of electricity and energy use at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said Friday.
?The plants are expected to provide an additional 3,000 megawatts,? Pratomo told reporters in Jakarta. ?It?ll help PLN to save about 1 million kiloliters of oil-based fuel, or about Rp 12 trillion (US$1.31 billion) a year in costs.?
PLN expects customer numbers to increase 40 percent to 1.6 million this year boosted by economic growth, Sunggu Anwar Aritonang, the utility?s marketing, director, said on Feb. 29. (*)