Japanese power giants to build plants

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 11/09/2009 7:16 PM

At least two Japanese business empires, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Marubeni Corp., have expressed interest in constructing two power plants to help the Indonesian government address the electricity deficit.

Industry Minister Mohamad Suleman Hidayat said Monday Mitsui planned to build an 800-megawatt power plant in Paiton, East Java, while Marubeni would build a 600-MW power plant in Cirebon, West Java.

"They will become IPP [independent power producers]. Hopefully, they can start [the projects by the end of] this year," he told reporters after a meeting with a delegation from the Japanese Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren).

Hidayat said Japanese businesses operating in country had complained about the power outages the country was currently facing. State electricity company PLN has been conducting rotating blackouts, which will continue until the end of this year.