RI to produce drinking sea water

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Indonesia is planning to build a plant to bottle water from the deep sea.

Such water is believed to contain more minerals than spring water.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rochmin Dahuri said on Saturday the raw material for the plant would be taken from 1,000 meters beneath the surface of the sea off Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara and Pelabuhan Ratu in West Java.

He said the Japanese government had extended a grant to his ministry to build the plant.

"I once drank deep-sea water in Japan and I felt refreshed. Deep sea water is said to be very healthy," Rochmin said.

Indonesia as a huge maritime country has the opportunity to develop the business, he said. -- Antara