Tokyo Electric in Sibolga

Tokyo Electric in Sibolga

TOKYO (AFP): Tokyo Electric Power Co. Inc. will start
generating electricity in Southeast Asian countries in a shift
from its long-standing policy of limiting its activity to within
Japan, a major daily said.

Japan's largest electric power supplier decided to start
overseas business because of sluggish demand at home, as well as
growing energy demands in other Asian countries, the Asahi
Shimbun said Sunday.

As its first overseas project, Tokyo Electric Power hopes to
participate in an Indonesian thermal power plant construction
with an investment of "several hundreds million yen (several
million dollars," the paper said, quoting company officials.

The Indonesian government plans to build the power plant in
Sibolga, northern Sumatra at a cost of about four billion yen
(US$38 million), installing two 100,000-kilowatt power
generators.

Tokyo Electric Power plans to invest in a joint venture to be
set up by two Japanese trading houses -- Mitsubishi Corp. and
Mitsui and Co. -- an Indonesia conglomerate and U.S. and European
power suppliers to take part in the construction and management
of the facility, the daily said.