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tate oil producer PT Pertamina has found buyers for liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will be channeled through a planned floating terminal in Teluk Jakarta bay, which is scheduled for construction this year.

Dahlan Iskan, the newly appointed president director for state power company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), said Friday his company would be the biggest buyer of LNG from the terminal.

"In 2011 we require huge amounts of LNG to fuel our power gene-rators and we will probably absorb 80 percent of LNG supplied through the floating terminal," Dahlan said.

"State fertilizer company PT Pupuk Kujang will absorb 18 percent of supply from the LNG terminal," said Evita H. Legowo, director general for oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on the same day via text message.

The LNG terminal in Teluk Jakarta bay will be a joint venture between Pertamina and state gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), 70 percent and 30 percent ownership respectively.

The terminal will have a capacity of 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) and is expected to absorb US$200 million in total investment.

The terminal is part of the government's program to provide gas infrastructure to anticipate higher domestic demand, especially from the electricity sector.

Beside in Teluk Jakarta, Pertamina also plans to build another floating LNG receiving terminal with similar capacity and production cost in East Java waters.

The two terminal projects are expected to be fully operational by September 2011.

Dahlan said he had discussed the plan to purchase LNG from the terminal with Pertamina president director Karen Agustiawan.

"We also asked Pertamina to immediately begin the construction of the terminal because the supply gas for PLN will depend on the terminal," Dahlan said.

A failure to access LNG supply, Dahlan said, would jeopardize PLN's plan to save Rp 15 trillion worth of efficiency measures in producing electricity.

"We will be forced to use gasoline, which is more expensive," he said.

Last year, PLN said that the company would need 2,233 mmscfd in 2010, while the available supply is about 900 mmscfd.

By 2012, PLN predicts its gas demand will be at 2,474 mmscfd, while the domestic supply may only be 1,781 mmscfd.

Indonesia is the world's third-largest LNG exporter. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said that gas exports had increased by 1.3 percent from last year to $475 million in 2009.

Japan and South Korea are the main buyers of Indonesian gas.