South Sumatra to produce electricity of up to 3,000 MW by 2009

By the year 2009, the South Sumatra province is expected to be able to supply electricity of up to 3,000 MW as part of the local government's ambitious program to turn the province into the country's main electricity providers, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Tuesday.

South Sumatra Governor Syahrial Oesman said in Jakarta on Monday that a number of gas and coal-fired power plants would be built in the province as part of the program.

He said that the planned construction of gas and coal-fired power plants which would have a capacity of 600 MW and 1,200 MW, respectively had been approved by Jakarta. "We are targeting to be able to produce electricity of up to 3,000 MW by the year 2009," he said after a meeting with Coordinating Minister of Economy Aburizal Bakrie.

He said that the electricity would be supplied in the planned Java-Sumatra power interconnection to meet the growing demand of the electricity supply not only in Sumatra but also in Java.

In order to support the program, the local government will offer a number of infrastructure projects to private companies, among others, to expand the Tanjung Api-Api port, to build railway track for coal transportation and to build power interconnection facilities.

Syahrial said that the infrastructure projects would be offered to investors during the upcoming Infrastructure Summit II which would be held in November, this year. (*)