Thailand to relocate electricity plant to Indonesia

Thailand will relocate one of its large power plants to Indonesia and sell the electricity to be produced from the combined cycle power plant to state owned electricity company PLN, Koran Tempo reported on Friday.

PLN?s president director Eddie Widiono Suwondo said in Jakarta on Thursday that the power plant, which is owned by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) would be relocated outside Java and Bali.

According to Eddie, the power plant which uses both coal and gas as its fuel is still in good condition. "We are still surveying the electricity plant and determining the right location for the operation of the plant," he added.

He said that the pricing of the electricity to be generated from the Thai power plant had not been negotiated. "PLN will buy from the Thai power plant only If the tariff is about 4.93 US cent per kilowatt hour or below the average tariff offered by other private electricity companies," he added.

Besides relocating the power plant, Thailand also plans to build another combined cycle power plants in Indonesia particularly in areas which suffer a serious shortage in the electricity supply, Eddie said, adding that all the expenses related to the relocation of the power plant would be borne by the Thai government. (*)