Sudwikatmono to increase electricity generation
Sudwikatmono to increase electricity generation
JAKARTA (JP): Sudwikatmono, the first businessman to be
involved in private power generation, plans to expand the
capacity of his electricity facilities from 76 megawatts (MW) at
present to 1,000 MW within five years.
He told reporters here yesterday that one of his companies, PT
Cikarang Listrindo, will expand the capacity of its power station
at the Cikarang Industrial Estate in Bekasi, West Java, from 76
MW to 600 MW, while another company, PT Kusumaraya Utama, will
set up a new power plant in Cilegon, also in West Java, with a
generation capacity of 400 MW.
The government, concerned about its shortage of funds for
power development, has invited private-sector companies to
establish electricity plants with a total capacity of 4,960 MW
during this Five-Year Development Plan (Repelita VI) period,
beginning in April. Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana
said this week that 16 companies will likely get involved in the
establishment of the plants in 16 locations.
"The expansion of the Cikarang power station will need an
additional investment of US$700 million," Sudwikatmono said after
a ceremony for the signing of a cooperation agreement between his
company, PT Napindo Mediapratama, and the State Electricity
Company (PLN) on the organization of an electricity technology
exhibition at the Jakarta Fairgrounds here from Sept. 19 to Sept.
22.
General Electric
Cikarang Listrindo will cooperate with General Electric of the
United States in the expansion program, he said.
In the first phase, the Cikarang power station's capacity will
be expanded to 140 MW.
Cikarang Listrindo is the first private company awarded
exclusive rights by the government to supply power to industrial
estates. According to Sudwikatmono, the company has set a billing
rate of Rp 172.96 (eight U.S. cents) per kilowatt hour (kWh) for
its electricity.
The rate is far higher than the Rp 154.21 rate charged by PLN
to its customers.
"We sell the excess of our output to PLN at a price of Rp 115
per kWh," Sudwikatmono said.
He also said that the establishment of the Cilegon plant,
which must wait for approval from the government, will need an
investment of $400 million.
His companies have received approval from the government's
offshore commercial loan supervisory team to accrue foreign
borrowing for their electricity projects.
Two Chinese companies, Int'l Machine Corp. and Herbine Power
Plant Equipment Corp, will provide technology for the Cilegon
project, which will use coal for its firing system.
The coal for the project will be supplied by PT Bukit Sumur
Wijaya, a subsidiary of Wijaya Group, owned by Sudwikatmono and
the hotel business conglomerate, Sukamdani Gitosardjono.
Besides the private sector, PLN has planned to increase its
total generation capacity by 8,040 MW during the Repelita VI
period. (fhp)