Indonesia needs US$26 billion for its power projects<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will increase its power generation
\ncapacity by 13,000 megawatts (MW) during the newly begun Sixth
\nFive Year Development Plan (Repelita VI) to meet rapidly
\nincreasing demand for electricity, a minister says.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Research and Technology Habibie told a press
\nconference after opening the 1994 Indonesian Energy Symposium
\nyesterday that the capacity expansion will need total investments
\nof US$26 billion.<\/p>\n
Habibie, who is also chairman of the Agency for Technology
\nAssessment and Application (BPPT), said the power development
\nwill double the country's total electricity capacity.<\/p>\n
He said the country has to obtain the proper technology to
\ncarry out its planned power capacity.<\/p>\n
The president of the state-owned electricity company (PLN),
\nZuhal, told the symposium that the country's demand for
\nelectricity will likely reach 18,800 MW in the coming ten years
\ngrowth.<\/p>\n
He said the company will meet the demand by increasing its
\ngeneration capacity by 24,000 MW, while private companies are
\nexpected to build power facilities with a total capacity of 7,475
\nMW.<\/p>\n
Diversification<\/p>\n
A deputy chairman of the National Development Planning Board
\n(Bappenas), Rahadi Ramelan, said that in line with the
\ngovernment's policy on energy diversification, the role of oil in
\npower generation will be reduced from 41.2 percent, where it
\nstands at present, to 30.8 percent in the coming five years.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, therefore, will increase the use of coal, natural
\ngas, wind, solar energy, water and geothermal steam in generating
\nelectricity, he said.<\/p>\n
Samaun Samadikun, chairman of the National Institute of
\nScience (LIPI), said Indonesia actually has abundant resources of
\ngeothermal steam but its ability to utilize them is still
\nlimited.<\/p>\n
The country has geothermal energy resources capable of
\ngenerating more than 15,000 MW of electricity, equivalent to the
\nproduction of 15 nuclear power plants, he said.<\/p>\n
But up to now, the country has only been able to tap 250 MW
\nfrom geothermal sources.<\/p>\n
Nengah Sudja, a PLN executive, told the meeting that the
\ncompany is scheduled to build an undersea cable transmission
\nnetwork next year. This will have a capacity of transmitting 150
\nkilovolts (KV) and will link its coal-fired steam power station
\nin Suralara at the western tip of Java with Lampung, the southern
\nprovince of Sumatra.<\/p>\n
PLN currently operates four power units in Suralaya, each with
\na capacity of 400 MW. It is now constructing three other units
\neach with a capacity of 600 MW.<\/p>\n
Sudja said the undersea cable will serve to interconnect
\nSumatra, Java and Bali because the last two islands, the most
\npopulated in Indonesia, have already been linked.(02)<\/p>",
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