Sidrap wind power project to start operation soon

The 75 MW Sidrap wind farm (PLTB) project in South Sulawesi Province, the largest wind power plant project in the country, is expected to start commercial operation at the end of this year.

Erwin Yahya, Director of PT UPC Sidrap Bayu Energi, which is developing the project, said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources last week that construction progress of the power plant project has reached around 80 percent. He said that the company, a joint venture between AC Energy of the Philippines and UPC Renewables Indonesia Ltd, is currently focused on installing the turbines.

?The progress of the Sidrap PLTB project is quite encouraging. We hope at the end of this year, it could reach commercial operation date (COD) status,? he said.

The statement said that once the Sidrap PLTB starts operation, it would help increase power supply in South, West and Southeast Sulawesi region, where installed capacity currently stands at 1,250 MW, with peak load of 1,050 MW.

Elsewhere, Erwin said that IPC plans to develop similar projects in other parts of Indonesia in the future. He pointed out that the company will team up with state-owned plantation firm PTPN IX to develop a 170 MW wind farm project in Sukabumi, West Java Province. He added that wind farms will also be developed in Ambon, Maluku, and in a number of smaller islands.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak