"The government highly supports this big project, and we expect that there will be a green economy transformation in Indonesia," Jokowi remarked while attending the groundbreaking of the Mentarang Main PLTA on Wednesday.
He noted that the project, which is built on Mentarang River located about 35 kilometers upstream of Malinau District, costs US$2.6 billion or around Rp40 trillion.
"What do we expect from (the development of) this area (the Mentarang PLTA)? The (PLTA) area in Mentarang will be connected to (supply electricity for) the (industrial) area in Bulungan," he stated.
Currently, the government is also constructing the Indonesian Industrial Park Area (KIPI) in Bulungan District, North Kalimantan Province, spanning an area of 13 thousand hectares, to become the largest green industrial estate in the world.
The president noted that the government is targeting to develop the electronic vehicle (EV) and EV battery manufacturing as well as aluminum industry at KIPI.
He noted that the industry will produce green aluminum since KIPI uses green energy.
Furthermore, he said that a petrochemical industry will start operating in the near future.
He visited KIPI on Tuesday (February 28, 2023) to witness up close the operational readiness of the industrial area that had been developed since 2021.
“Once they (the Mentarang PLTA and Bulungan KIPI) are connected, they will become Indonesia's future (economic drivers)," Jokowi remarked.
In addition, he expressed gratitude to the local community and religious leaders in Malinau District for supporting the implementation of the project.
"Especially the Dayak community, who has fully supported this project, and we hope that all of us can obtain great benefits from this integrated project in Mentarang Sub-district (in Malinau District) and Bulungan District," he noted.
The Mentarang Main PLTA is being developed by PT Kayan Hydropower Nusantara, a joint venture between Sarawak Energy and Indonesian private corporation PT Kayan Patria Pratama.
Sarawak Energy is a company belonging to the Government of Sarawak, Malaysia.
In addition to supplying electricity for the industrial area, the Mentarang Main PLTA can provide sustainable supply of clean energy for the surrounding community and support electricity supply for Indonesia’s future capital city, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan Province.
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Translator: Desca Natalia, Uyu Liman
Editor: Anton Santoso
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