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Thai investors eye coal-fired power plant
Two Thai investors -- EGAT International Co
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Two Thai investors -- EGAT International Co. Ltd. and Intermining and Energy Co. Ltd -- have announced a plan to jointly build a coal-fired power plant in Jambi, Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin says.
The planned power plant would have a total output capacity of 500 megawatts (MW).
"They will conduct a survey in Jambi in the near future," Zulkifli said.
He said during a working visit to Thailand last week he had met with the Thai mining minister and had been shown a eco-friendly coal-fired plant in Lampang, Thailand.
"We observed firsthand the facility owned by PT EGAT International Co. Ltd. -- a state-owned company in the field of power generating," he said, adding that the company was the biggest power producer in Thailand and that it operated a 10,000 hectare facility with an output of 4,180 MW in Lampang, located some two hours from Bangkok.
Zulkifli said based on initial discussions and an agreement with the Thai government, the two investors would conduct immediately a survey on a number of regencies in Jambi that have coal deposits.
"They only require low-calorie coal, and not high quality coal," he said, referring to the type of power plant.
Contrary to reports, Zulkifli said he had not received a formal request from the companies to sign a contract to supply a surplus of coal, although he added that he would accept a request to provide a surplus of at least 30-years worth of coal.
"It's still a proposal and it should receive the approval of the regents," he said.
He added that despite the determination of the Jambi provincial government and the Thai investors to charge ahead with the plant, the project was limited by the fact that Indonesian state power company PLN would be the only buyer of the outputted energy.
"In response to the matter, I have contacted Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi for an appointment to meet President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono to report the planned investment from Thailand as well as to seek a solution to the underlying issues," he said.
The head of legal and organizational affairs at the Jambi provincial secretariat, Sudirman, said the working visit to Thailand had been useful as the contingent had learned about how to build an environmentally friendly plant.
"They are eager to invest in Jambi. They will conduct a survey this month," Sudirman said.
The contingent that visited Thailand included four Indonesian regents: Bungo Regent Zulfikar Ahmad, Batanghari Regent Syairsah, Muarojambi Regent Burhanudin Mahir and Sarolangun Vice Regent Cek Endra, as well as a number of other officials.
