"We have the ambition to become the largest power provider in Indonesia and in Asia."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - France-based energy company GDF Suez Energy International said it would start construction of a geothermal power plant (PLTP) in Muara Laboh, West Sumatra, in mid 2013 to be completed in 2017.
"Currently we are in the process of securing a number of licenses from related agencies to start work in the middle of next year," Willem Van Twembeke, the CEO of GDF Suez Energy Asia said here on Wednesday.
GDF Suez also plans to build two other units of PLTP in Rantau Dedap and Rajabasa both in Lampung.
Construction of the two units will follow by the end of 2013 or six months after PLTP Muara Laboh.
GDF owns a 35 percent stake in the three units of PLTP with a total capacity of 680 megawatts, all to be operational in 2017
"The three units of PLTP will help cope with shortage in power supply in Sumatra which has recorded a fast increase in power requirement," Van Twembeke said.
Earlier this year or in March GDF Suez and its partner PT. Supereme Energy signed an agreement to sell power from PLTP Muara Laboh and PLTP Rajabasa to PT. Pembangkit Listrik Negara.
The power sales and purchase agreement is for 30 years with the prices set at 9.4 US cents/kWh for power from PLTP Muara Laboh and 9.5 cents/kWh for power from PLTP Rajabasa.
The prices were agreed upon through auction mechanism with the respective district administrations.
Van Twembeke said with stable economic growth at around 6 percent a year and high population growth, power requirement in Indonesia will increase faster.
"We have the ambition to become the largest power provider in Indonesia and in Asia," he said.
GDF Suez also has a 40.5 percent stake in PT Paiton Energi the largest Independent Power Producer in Indonesia.
The company operates the third unit of Paiton , a coal fired power plant using the technology of super critical boiler with a capacity of 2,035 MW.
(Uu.AS/S012/H-ASG)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
