Tarahan coal-fired power plant to operate soon

PT Indonesian Power, the subsidiary of state electricity firm PT PLN expects to fully operate the 2x100 megawatt (MW) Tarahan coal-fired power plant in Lampung later this year, Kompas reported on Monday.

The construction of the power plant in South Lampung regencty has been 92 percent completed, the daily said.

One of the two units is scheduled to start a trial operation of one of Tarahan's two power unit on May 22, 2007, while the full operation of the two power units are scheduled for October 26 and December 26, 2007 respectively. Once the operation commences, Tarahan will put an end to the rotational power blackouts currently in place in several parts of Sumatra.

Tarahan's project manager Bambang Subariyanto said that each of power units will need 50 tons of coal per hour. Both units together will optimally generate 200 MW of electricity.

The construction work of Tarahan plan on 40 hectares of land began in 2002. The total cost of the project is US$225 million, which Indonesian Power got a soft loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). (*)