South Sumatra has the capacity to export electricity to Malaysia

South Sumatra, billed to become one of the country's largest electricity producers, has the capacity not only to meet the power needs in Sumatra and Java but also to export the power supply to neighboring Malaysia, Investor Daily reported on Friday.

South Sumatra Governor Syahrial Oesman said in Palembang on Wednesday that a number of power plants to be built in the province within the next few years could provide additional power supply of at least 1,400 megawatt.

"With such huge capacity, South Sumatra will not only be able to meet electricity demands in Sumatra and Java but also to export the power supply to Malaysia," he was quoted saying.

The local government, in cooperation with private companies to build four gas-fired power plants with total capacity of 400 MW, and five coal-fired power plants, with total capacity of 1,000 MW.

"We hope that all of the new power plants could be operated by 2009," he said, adding that the construction of the four gas-fired power plants would cost about US$324 million, while the construction of the five coal-fired would cost about US$1 billion.

Meanwhile State Minister for Research and Techology Kusmayanto Kadiman said that the Indonesian and Malaysian governments had studied a possible cooperation in the power supply.

Under the planned cooperation, South Sumatra would export part of electricity to West Malaysa, while Sarawak in East Malaysia could help provide the power supply for Kalimantan, he said. (*)