Soeharto to inaugurate power plant

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto is scheduled to inaugurate a new 110-megawatt (MW) geothermal power generation plant later this month in Gunung Salak near Sukabumi, West Java, the president of the state electricity company PT PLN said.

Zuhal stated that the plant, which will be inaugurated simultaneously with various projects throughout the country, has thus far absorbed an investment of Rp 190 billion (US$87.59 million).

"Some Rp 110 billion of the project's total investment stemmed from soft loans from the Italian government," he told reporters during his visit to the project site on Thursday.

He was accompanied by Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana and the president of the state oil company Pertamina, Faisal Abda'oe, on the visit.

The project receives supplies of steam from a geothermal field operated by Unocal of the United States under a production sharing contract.

Zuhal said the main contractor of the power plant was Ansaldo Energia Spa of Italy.

Indonesia has five geothermal plants with a combined capacity of 144.75 MW. The biggest plants are located in Kamojang, West Java, with a combined capacity of 360 MW.

Another 55-MW geothermal power plant in Darajat, West Java, is now under construction and expected to be inaugurated later this year. (fhp)