GOVT TO CALL TENDER FOR 10,000 MW POWER PROJECT

Jakarta, June 4 (ANTARA) - State-owned power utility firm PLN is planning to put to tender the second phase of 10,000 MW power projects in September 2009, its president director said.

PLN president director Fahmi Mochtar said here on Thursday that the first projects that would likely be put to tender were the 1,200 MW Muara Tawar Add-On gas power plant (PLTGU) and the 1,000 MW Cisokan Upper hydro-power plant (PLTA).

"The funds for the two projects are already clear," he said.

The Muara Tawar Add-On PLTGU project will be built with funds from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) while the Cisokan Upper PLTA will be financed with funds from the World Bank.

He said that PLN would offer an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) tender for the two electricity projects.

Besides the two projects mentioned earlier, the projects in the second phase which had obtained financing commitment and would be carried out by PLN included the 100MW Parit Baru thermal powered plant or PLTU ( to be financed with funds from China) and the 200 MW Muara Jawa PLTU (fund from East Kalimantan local bank BPD).

Other projects that had obtained financing were the 174 MW Asahan 3 PLTA (funds from JBIC), the 10 MW Ulumbu geothermal powered plant (PLTP) with funds from the ADB, the 20 MW Lahenong 4 PLTP (fund from the ADB) and the 110 MW Ulubelu power project ( fund from JBIC).

Fahmi said that in carrying out the EPC tender, his side did not need to wait for the launching of the 10,000 MW power project, phase two, which was expected to be carried out in the near future.

He said PLN and directorate general for mineral, coal and geothermal affairs were still finalizing the projects to be included in the 10,000 MW power projects.

State-owned power utility firm PLN said recently the second phase of its 10,000-MW power generating project will be implemented in 78 locations with a combined capacity of 9,706 MW.