R

ussian investors have expressed interest in investing in West Java, especially in the energy sector, a company representative says.

Raam Saraogi, who represents Russian state-run power firm OAO Inter RAO UES and the manufacturer of Power Machines turbines, said his company was interested in exploiting energy in the province, the most populated province in the country.

“West Java has a potential to generate 3 x 300 megawatts of power,” he said after meeting West Java Deputy Governor Yusuf Macan Efendi at the Gedung Sate provincial administrative building in Bandung on Wednesday.

Inter RAO UES said it was ready to pour huge amounts to conduct surveys and begin construction.

“Money is not a problem. We want to help develop West Java so we are willing to invest 100 percent and work with the province. The total investment could reach US$2 billion. We have no problems with that,” Saraogi said.

Yusuf said the joint venture was part of the Russian company’s initiative to expand to Indonesia.

“They see the potential and power demand, which remains very large in West Java,” Yusuf added.

West Java is home to a large industrial base, especially in the regencies along its northern coast: Karawang, Bekasi, Cirebon, Indramayu and Subang.

Yusuf said the investment offer was interesting, given the company’s role in supplying power to European countries.

West Java will also work with Power Machines, a manufacturer of turbines and heavy machinery.

“The company is the fourth-largest in the world in its field and generates 300,000 megawatts of power around the world,” he said.

Both companies, Yusuf added, were very serious about their interests in the province. The West Java administration has offered them investment opportunities in geothermal energy and steam- and gas-powered generation.

“We have offered the firms a number of locations, especially along the north coast, where power demand is very high. Indramayu already has a steam-powered plant, so we may look at Subang or Karawang. The companies have formed a team to carry out surveys,” Yusuf said.

He added that the investments were not restricted to power plant construction, but also energy infrastructure.

Yusuf said the provincial administration would facilitate the joint venture, from the feasibility studies to issuing recommendations. The outcome would be handed over to the central Investment Coordinating Board.