PLN TO BUILD PLTU IN BATANG

Batang, C Java, April 25 (ANTARA) - State electricity company PT PLN plans to build a coal-fired power plant (PLTU) in Batang regency, Central Java province.

Head of the Batang Environment Agency Agus Riyadi said Saturday previously a team of the Central Java Energy and Mineral Resources Agency and Environment Impact Control Agency (Bapedal) has conducted a survey of the location where the PLTU would be built.

"As a final decision on the project has yet to be made, the PLTU project would be built in Batang regency as the location is very strategic," he said.

He said a number or areas where a PLTU will be built are the Denasri Kulon coast, Ujungnegoro, Celon, and port of Kedawung village, Gringsing subdistrict.

However, he added, the building of the 2,000 megawatts (MW) PLTUs in Java, may need 250 hectares of land with a project investment of Rp30 trillion.

"The Batang regency administration has prepared the land for the PLTU," he said.

He added that according to the result of a survey and criterium, it would be quicker to build a PLTU on the coast of the port in Kedawung village, as it is far from a railroad track and the planned Batang-Semarang toll road project.

Besides, the process of compensation to the land owners is also much more simplified because most of the land for the project belonged to PT PLN.

"We believe that it would be more strategic to build the PLTU on the coast of the port, Kedawung village, compared to other locations," he said.