The Netherlands Offer to Build Windmills

Tempo Interactive, Monday, 30 August, 2010 | 14:38 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar: Wampan, an energy consulting company from the Netherlands, has offered to develop wind-generated power suppliers to the South Sulawesi government. “There is a good wind potential in Sidrap, because the wind speed in the area is over five meters per second,” Daniel S. Pangruruk, Wampan International Consultant Energy director, told Tempo yesterday following a meeting at the residence of the South Sulawesi governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Based on the company’s research, the use of a windmill having a 500/600 kilowatt capacity can reduce the use of oil fuel by 0,3 liter per kWh. This is equal to reducing 60 gram CO2 per kWh or planting 57.000 trees, “Wind-generated electricity is environmentally-friendly,” said Daniel, who is also the technical advisor at the Public Works Ministry in the Netherlands.

Daniel admitted that the initial investment for the construction of a large-scale windmill will be high. To produce 20 MW of electricity from 20 windmills will require US$ 70 million.

This is the main consideration of South Sulawesi governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo. “The initial investment is high. Yet, one of our principles on developing electricity in South Sulawesi is that it should be low cost,” Syahrul said.

However, he feels that if there is any investor willing to fund the construction, he will support the project. According to Syahrul, the use of windmills to produce electricity needs to be developed because it is environmentally-friendly. “Besides, we want electricity to go into areas which still have no access to electricity,” he said.

Syahrul said energy would benefit the Makassar Industrial Zone. “The operational cost will be lower. Let us see if there is any investor who want to collaborate with us,” he said.

He added that he would make sure the interested investor will hire a consulting company to conduct a research and an in-depth survey on the windmill construction. “We still need to carry out a research, at least for one year,’ he said.

Earlier, Daniel had submitted a proposal to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry as well as to a number of regional leaders in other provinces. “But I went to South Sulawesi because the governor read my proposal and I was invited here to elaborate on the plan when we met in the Netherlands,” Daniel said.

FADHILAH NAZIF