Publicly listed state construction and engineering company PT Wijaya Karya (Wika) has begun construction of a steam power plant worth Rp 647 billion (US$69.47 million) in Tawaang Village, Manado, North Sulawesi.

"We started the construction last Friday," operational director Slamet Maryono said Monday in a press conference, adding that the plant was expected to have a capacity of two-times 25 megawatts (MW), helping to overcome a power-supply shortage in the province.

He said the plant was one of many strategic projects put forth to realize the government's target of distributing an additional 20,000 MW in Indonesia.

"This is the first project to be implemented of nine steam power generating plants with a combined capacity of 4,806 MW that Wika has been contracted to build by the government," Slamet said.

He said the nine plants would absorb Rp 3.5 trillion in investment and were expected to be completed in 2010.

Wika is also cooperating with state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga to build 1,000 kilometers of toll roads, while for another project, it is supplying around 800,000 to one million tubes to transport liquefied petroleum gas.

"We've been developing a 37-kilometer toll road segment between Surabaya and Mojokerto in East Java and a 11-kilometer segment between Kunciran and Serpong in Tangerang," Bintang said.

Wika will also acquire 70 percent of engineering, mechanical, electrical, and construction company PT Catur Insan Pertiwi and a coal mine.

With these projects, Wika is targeting to increase its revenue by 42 percent to Rp 6.1 trillion this year from Rp 4.48 trillion last year. (rff)

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