SBY inaugurates new power plant in East Kalimantan

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated on Saturday the operation of a new coal-fired power plant in Embalut-Tanjung Batu, Tenggarong in East Kalimantan?s Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar) regency.

The new coal-fired power plant, which has two units with a capacity of 25 megawatt (MW), was built at a total cost of about Rp 700 billion (1US$=Rp9,200). The power plant is owned and operated by PT Cahaya Fajar Kaltim, a joint venture between the provincial government and PT Kaltim Electric Power owned by media group Jawa Pos Group.

?Although the new power plant is relatively small, it is the first new power plant to be built along the mineral rich Samarinda-Balikpapan belt,? the president director of Jawa Pos Group, Dahlan Iskan said.

The power plant is expected to enter the Mahakam interconnection grid at the end of this month which distribute electricity to Samarinda, Balikpapan and Kutai Kartanegara

Dahlan asked the President to support the joint venture?s plan to build a second power plant with a capacity of 2 x 50 MW in the new power plant?s compound. ?If we don?t build the second power plant, the existing infrastructure facilities will be idle,? he added. (*)