Indonesia to Offer Geothermal Drilling Rights in Block Tender Next Year

Bloomberg, By Bambang Djanuarto - Dec 31, 2010

Indonesia will seek bids for 50 new oil and gas blocks next year through tenders and direct offers to help boost output, said Evita Legowo, director general of oil and gas at the Energy and Minerals Resources Ministry.

The government will seek investors next year to develop 10 coal-bed methane working areas, Legowo said in a press briefing in Jakarta today.

“We will also offer nine geothermal working areas” to increase the use of the cleaner-burning fuel, Energy Minister Darwin Saleh said at the same briefing today. The projects would have a potential capacity to generate 1,336 megawatts of electricity, he said.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest crude oil producer, pulled out of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in 2008 as aging fields and declining output turned the nation into a net oil importer. The nation may return to net exporter status by 2020, according to Gita Wirjawan, chairman of Indonesia’s investment coordinating board.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bambang Djanuarto in Jakarta at bdjanuarto@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Greg Ahlstrand at gahlstrand@bloomberg.net

Sahid Resort brings oasis of luxury into heart of Kuta

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Kuta | Thu, 12/30/2010

An “oasis” will soon emerge in Bali’s most crowded tourist area offering holidaymakers a luxury hotel and lavish shopping paradise overlooking the pristine Kuta Beach.

World famous: Bali’s Kuta Beach, pictured here,
is a favorite spot for holidaymakers around the world:
Courtesy PT Indonesia Paradise Island /
Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort

“This will be a perfect blend of contemporary and traditional, translated into a world-class hotel and shopping mall,” explained Hariyadi B. Sukamdani, president of PT Indonesian Paradise Island (IPI).

The planned project is expected to be completed mid 2011. IPI invested Rp 600 billion (US$70 million) into the Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort. Haryadi, however, was quick to add the amount of capital invested might change depending on the project design.

“We are still altering some of the designs here and there and these could affect the amount of capital invested,” he said.

Some might wonder whether the already crowded and often traffic congested Kuta really needs another multi-billion project. People will certainly be curious about the project’s structure and design especially when it comes to ecological issues brought about by the rapid growth of tourist-related development projects and the increasing number of visitors besieging Kuta.

Sukamdani Sahid Gitosardjono, the patriarch of the Sahid family, said his old property, the Sahid Hotel, was one of the pioneer hotels in the area.

“In the past, Kuta was quiet and beautiful. Only a few small guesthouses and hotels were operating, catering for local and foreign tourists,” Sukamdani said.

“In the past, the development of any five-star hotel was allowed provided developers applied designs in line with the island’s nature,” he said.

His son Hariyadi decided to follow this philosophy by developing an eco-friendly resort on the 5.2 hectares of land on the former site of the old Sahid Hotel.

“My plan is to revitalize the Kuta area into a green and people-friendly area by constructing an-integrated luxury resort, office complex and high-end shopping complex using an eco-friendly architectural concept.”

The buildings have been designed with world-class architectural standard using as much local materials as possible.

Spacious and lust gardens, water ponds and hanging gardens will surround the buildings, which will be lined with wide sidewalks to enable visitors to enjoy their promenade. Nowadays, it is still difficult for people to walk along the narrow streets of Kuta because of the limited pedestrian facilities.

The planned hotel will consist of 200 lavish rooms facing the great waves of Kuta Beach and will be operated under the brand Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort.

A new oasis: PT Indonesian Paradise Island is planning to build a multi-billion
rupiah hotel project, currently designed to look like this picture, called the Sahid
Kuta Lifestyle Resort. The resort will be completed mid 2011. Courtesy PT Indonesia
Paradise Island/Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort

The shopping arcades, called the Beach Walk, will be designed in the Balinese traditional architectural style, adding a few touches to remind visitors of the daily lives of the Balinese agricultural society.

The project has been designed by architectural firm PT Enviro Tec Indonesia, according to Indonesia Design.

The Beach Walk will resemble the island’s rural landscape with its beautiful terraced contours and open-air walkways. It will house 200 top-notch boutiques and stores, restaurants, children playgrounds, music and dance stages.

“We will not cut any existing trees on this site and will use recycled wood and materials for the project,” said Hariyadi.

The company’s director of development, Patrick Rendradjaja, added that the company was also concerned about the existing traffic problems in Kuta.

“We have already incorporated a comprehensive parking site to ease traffic congestion,” Rendradjaja said.

Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort will have a two-level parking basement which can accommodate up to 1,000 vehicles at a time. The Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort will be next to the Harris Hotel, which also belongs to the Sahid family.

“They will complement each other. The Sheraton will cater to the high-end market, while the four-star Harris will continue to retain its own clientele,” Hariyadi said.

“I really expect the project will benefit hotels and businesses in this area as it will rejuvenate the area into a green and beautiful one,” he added.

Those eager to stay at this luxury and tranquil hotel in the hustle-bustle Kuta will have to wait until its completion, sometime in 2011.

Happy Holidays.

HK allocates US$50 billion for investment in RI

Antara News, Friday, December 31, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Hong Kong government has allocated US$50 billion for its investment in Indonesia until next year, an Indonesian diplomat said here.

"Indonesia must be able to provide various facilities so that the investment funds will not go to other countries instead," Teguh Wardoyo, Indonesian consul general in Hong Kong said on Thursday.

He said that up to now about 34 billion dollars had been absorbed while the remaining 16 billion dollars had not yet been absorbed.

Indonesia, he said, is still an important part of the government and businesspeople in Hong Kong. After all, Indonesia`s market potentials are big in line with the progress of the infrastructure in Indonesia.

"This matter was acknowledged by a number of quarters in the business sector in Hong Kong," he said.

Government Has a New Disaster Plan for the New Year

Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita | December 29, 2010

Following a series of major natural disasters in 2010 that claimed hundreds of lives, the government plans to shift its focus next year to programs aimed at minimizing fatalities, a minister has said.

Three incidents alone this year — flash floods in the West Papua town of Wasior, a tsunami in the Mentawai Islands and the eruption of Mount Merapi — killed around a thousand people in the space of a few weeks.

“There are some disasters we cannot prevent such as volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes, however, we can do many things to minimize the losses,” Agung Laksono, the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

He said the most common disasters this year were floods and landslides, adding that human activity played a role in most of these incidents.

Next year, he added, the government will intensify efforts to educate the public about how they can protect themselves during a disaster.

“Children at school should know what they must do when disaster strikes,” he said. “It should be taught across the country as part of the curriculum.”

Regional governments should take the lead in this educational campaign, the minister said. Municipal authorities, he added, were obliged to inform residents about what to do and where to go in the case of an emergency.

He said the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) was responsible for leading the emergency response and post-disaster rehabilitation.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, BNBP’s director for disaster risk reduction, said focusing on disaster mitigation instead of emergency response was a relatively new idea that was being adopted by countries around the world.

Effective mitigation programs, he said, help save lives and minimize the financial losses from a disaster. He warned, however, that such programs required sizeable investments to set up.

“The government should earmark at least 4 percent from the state budget for disaster mitigation programs and emergency responses,” he said.

Agung said the government would allocate Rp 4 trillion ($444 million) for disaster management in 2011. That is a massive increase from this year’s Rp 500 billion.

He also said the response to this year’s three major disasters had been quicker and more efficient than in the past because of the establishment of two rapid-response units to help deliver emergency aid to victims.

Related Article:

Indonesia to Put Disaster Mitigation on the Map

Tifatul says Palapa Ring to be completed by 2012

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 12/29/2010

Information and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring is aiming for the Palapa Ring fiber-optic project to be completed by 2012, saying the project has been delayed because of financing difficulties.

"The consortium that runs the project is having financing problems, but everything will be completed by 2012," Tifatul said.

According to Tifatul, the project will be financed by state revenue obtained from the information and communication technology (ICT) industry.

"We are now awaiting the order to resume the project. The Finance Ministry has approved the plan," Tifatul said Wednesday.

He said that the government aimed to raise Rp 1 trillion (US$111 million) in annual revenue from the ICT industry.

The Palapa Ring is an ambitious project that aims to link Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua and eight existing network connections or backhauls through an estimated total 35,280 kilometers of undersea and 21,870 kilometers of underground fiber-optic cables.

The government has created a consortium for the project involving PT Telkom, PT Indosat, PT Exelcomindo Pratama, PT Bakrie Telecom, PT Infokom Elektrindo and PT Powertek Utama Internusa.

Army builds 775 houses of disaster victims

Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Jakarta  (ANTARA News) - The Army is building 775 houses for natural disaster victims in seven provinces throughout Indonesia.

The head of the Military Headquarters Colonel Minulyo said here Monday the houses are built with cooperation of the Social Affairs Ministry.

He said the rehabilitation, reconstruction and relocation of the houses are for this year`s natural disaster victims in South Sulawesi, West Java, Central Java, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, and West Nusa Tenggara.

Minulyo said the 775 houses are being built in several areas under the IIIrd Military Command, 307 houses, comprising 54 in West Bandung regency and 253 in Majalengka regency.

In the area under the IVth Military Command 51 houses are built, including 30 in Purworejo regency and 20 pct already completed, under the VIIth Military Command 331 houses, comprising 70 units in Sangihe Islands province in North Sulawesi and 6 pct completed, and 109 units in Parigi Moutong regency, Central Sulawesi with 8 percent of them completed, and 122 units in Palopo regency, South Sulawesi.

And in the area under the command of the IXth Military Command 44 units in Belu regency, East Nusa Tenggara with 67.4 pct completed, and 72 units in Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara with 40 pct completed.

The rehabilitation and reconstruction, and relocation of houses of the natural disaster victims is carried out in 60 days starting from the IVth week of November 2010 until the fourth week of January 2011, involving military personnel, social services, regional administrations and the local population with funding from the social affairs ministry.

RI to get US$600 million loan from S Korea

Antara News, Monday, December 27, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is to receive a loan from South Korea under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) scheme worth US$600 million, an official said.

"The loan aims to support development and economic activity in Indonesia specifically in three areas, namely technology, green growth and infrastructure," Director General for Asia Pacific Cooperation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry TM Hamzah Thayeb said here on Monday after attending a ceremony marking the signing of the loan`s framework with South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho-Young.

Hamzah said the loan would be given with a low interest, namely 0.15 to 0.2 percent per year. However, he stated, the government had not yet decided which projects should be financed with the loan. "We are still studying it," he said adding that technical matters regarding the loan would be handled together by the Finance Ministry and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

He expressed hope that the loan would increase the employment rate in Indonesia as well as increase the country`s revenue from improving industry and economic activity.

Meanwhile, South Korean Ambassador Kim Ho-Young said the EDCF scheme was one of his country`s ways to enhance bilateral cooperation with Indonesia. "I think Indonesia has a great potential for economic growth. There is still much room for bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea," he said.

ECDF is a program to extend financial loans to 47 developing countries in the world with the aim of supporting the stability of economy and industry of the partnering countries as well as enhance South Korea`s relations with them.

Indonesia itself has been receiving loans from ECDF since 1987 in varying amounts. The latest financial commitment executed under the scheme was between 2007 and 2009 worth US$149.9 million.

Govt to build three new airports

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 12/26/2010

The government has planned to build three new airports in 2011 in Sulawesi and Maluku to improve access to the regions.

The planned airports are Mamasa Baru and Toraja Baru in Sulawesi and Moa in Southeast Maluku.

“We need at least Rp 130 billion (US$14.4 million) in investment per airport,” Transportation Ministry air transportation director general Herry Bhakti said over the weekend, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Most of the projects at the airports would be financed by regional budgets, he said, however, “the state budget will cover the construction stage.”

Govt building 30 new penitentiaries, expanding 33 old ones

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/25/2010

The government is building a total of 30 new penitentiaries across the country, while expanding 33 old ones.

Justice and Human Rights Ministry’s director general for penitentiaries Untung Sigiyono said Saturday the move was aimed at addressing Indonesia’s overcrowded prison cells.

“The numbers of inmates at most of our penitentiaries exceed the capacities,” Untung told journalists after bestowing remissions to 59 inmates of Bulak Kapal penitentiary in Bekasi, West Java, in a symbolic ceremony.

He said the construction and expansion of 50 penitentiaries were near completion, adding that the 63 new and renovated penitentiaries would add a total of 10,000 new cells for inmates.

New penitentiaries include those in West Java towns of Cikarang, Bekasi and Banjar, and in Banten town of Cilegon.

Related Article:

Over Half of Child Prisoners Are in Adult Jails, Officials Admit

Nickel processing plant to be built in SE Sulawesi

Antara News, Saturday, December 25, 2010

Kendari (ANTARA News) - The Southeast Sulawesi provincial administration established cooperation with foreign and national companies to build a nickel processing plant in the region.

"The cooperation is contained in a memorandum of understanding between Jilin Horoc Nonferrous Metal Group Ltd of China and PT Billy Indonesia on December 15, 2010," Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam said here on Thursday.

Nur said under the MoU, Jilin will keep 100 million US dollars at Bank Pembangunan, Southeast Sulawesi office, before building a stainless steel plant.

He said the cooperation is aimed at managing the nickel potential in the region, including southeast Sulawesi, and the potential in the thousands of hectares of mining fields under the control of PT INCO but still unprocessed.

He said the cooperation is an implementation of Law No 4 of 2009 on mineral and coal mining which does not export the mining products in the form of basic material.

"Thus we no longer export ferro nickle in its raw material, but after processing first, so that it produced a relatively high added value," he said.

This cooperation is expected to boost the region`s income in the form of tax and provide employment to locals, and therefore beneficial to the government and for the welfare of the people, especially those living near the mines, without harming the environment.

Australian support to help RI recover from disasters

Antara News, Friday, December 24, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Villages and homes will be rebuilt, burns victims will receive treatment, and communities will be better prepared following an additional $5.5 million from Australia to help Indonesia recover from the recent natural disasters.

According to an Australian Embassy media release in its official website on Friday, Ambassador Greg Moriarty said that Australia had been quick to respond with $2.1 million in emergency funds when Mount Merapi erupted and the tsunami in the Mentawai Islands killed more than 800 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

This additional funding takes Australia`s total support to $7.6 million.

Australia`s further $5.5 million for the recovery phase will go towards:

• Grants to affected communities to help themselves - for example by rebuilding homes and local health clinics - through Indonesia`s National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM).
  
  
• Non-Government Organizations to provide temporary shelter, livelihood and mental and physical health support activities in the Mount Merapi area. This will include providing equipment to assist burns victims.
  
  
• The Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction to survey, understand and document the actions taken by communities, governments and NGOs before, during and after the disasters that saved lives and minimized destruction.
  
  
• 600 family kits funded by the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction to assist families in the Mentawai Islands with clothes, cooking equipment and hygiene items.

Moriarty said Australia`s further support will help minimize the impact of future disasters and save lives.

"Indonesia is now looking beyond the immediate response to longer-term recovery and rehabilitation. Australia is providing support to efforts on how Indonesia can better prepare for future disasters," Moriarty said.

Related Article:

Australia to Give Indonesia an Extra $5.5m in Disaster Relief

Nuclear power ‘not feasible’ for RI: Expert

Imung Yuniardi, The Jakarta Post, SEMARANG | Thu, 12/23/2010

Developing nuclear power in Indonesia is not feasible due to the huge initial investment required and the high price of uranium, a government energy expert says.

There is no reason for the Indonesian government to develop nuclear power plants (PLTN) given the lower costs of renewable energy power generators, according to Rinaldy Dalimi of the National Energy Council.

“This is no longer an issue of safety but more about investment calculations and a consideration of the fact that Indonesia will have to import uranium should it develop a PLTN,” Rinaldy said at a seminar on new and renewable energy in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday.

According to Rinaldy, who is also a professor at the University of Indonesia, the nation’s uranium reserves were relatively small and could only power a single 3,000-megawatt nuclear reactor for 11 years.

Plans to establish a nuclear power, first mooted during Soeharto’s era, have drawn criticism from environmental organizations.

During a hearing in May, legislators urged the government to be serious in realizing its plan to build a nuclear power plant in Jepara, Central Java.

Rinaldy said a nuclear power plant would require US$4,000 to produce a single kilowatt of electricity while a steam-powered generator would require $800 to produce the same amount.

“The price of the energy that [nuclear power plants] produce therefore will surely be much higher when compared to electricity produced by a PLTU or PLTG [gas-powered generator],” he said.

Pressure to develop nuclear power in Indonesia might have come from countries with nuclear technology such as Japan and Russia, he said, adding that only 15 percent of countries worldwide had nuclear power plants.

“They have approached Indonesia over consideration that the government’s policies still support the development of PLTNs.”

The main objective of establishing the National Atom Agency (BATAN) and other nuclear-related institutions over the last 56 years ago was not to produce electricity but to master nuclear technology, according to Rinaldy.

The government so far has heard only one side of the case for nuclear power development, Rinaldy said.

Rinaldy said that BATAN should organize a national forum where differing parties could meet and talk further about nuclear power development in Indonesia based on the latest developments in energy technology.

He said developed countries had been developing cheap sources of renewable energy such as solar cell technology.

“My suggestion is the government initiate the use of renewable energy. By 2050 at least 75 percent of energy used in Indonesia should be renewable.”

Electricity power pundit Nengah Sudja agreed, suggesting that BATAN should not promote nuclear power plants but instead investigate the use of nuclear energy in the areas of health and medicine, industry and research, food and agriculture.

Responsibility for electricity production should rest with state electricity company PT PLN or private companies, Nengah said.

Nengah said the government had not given sufficient support to research institutions such as BATAN, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) to develop cheap sources of renewable energy.

US committed to help maintain Indonesia`s Hercules

Antara News, Friday, December 24, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The United States government expressed its commitment to help maintain the C-130 Hercules heavy transport planes of the Indonesian Air Force.

The commitment was made by US Air Attache Colonel Kevin A. Booth during a courtesy call on Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Imam Sufaat in Jakarta Thursday.

Air Force spokesman Air Commodore Bambang Samoedro after attending a meeting said that at present a Hercules C-130 of the Indonesian Air Force is undergoing a comprehensive maintenance under the Programmed Depot Maintanance (PDM) scheme at the ARINC hangar in Oklahoma, the US.

"In the beginning more than one will undergo the maintenance, but for the time being we sent only one. However, they remained with their commitment to help the maintenance of a number of Hercules planes of the Indonesian Air Force," Bambang said.

The Hercules undergoing maintenance at the ARINC hangar has the registration number A-1323.

He said the maintenance program under a US grant, was aimed to increase the capacity and preparedness of C-130 planes of the Indonesian Air Force.

"The maintenance will take six months, involving ten Indonesian air force technicians also within the technology transfer scheme," he said.

Bambang also said that the six months maintenance period may be extended for more than six months since many parts need to be repaired or replaced.

Repair and part replacements of one such Hercules cost 6.5 million US dollars.

Angkasa Pura I ready to tender Bali airport expansion

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 12/23/2010

State airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I is readying to expand Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, saying it will organize a tender for the first phase of the project soon.

The expansion has been estimated to require up to Rp 1.9 trillion (US$ 210 billion) in investment and is scheduled for completion by 2013.

“The project will be separated into four phases. We are ready to commence the first phase, disbursing Rp 227.7 billion in investment,” Angkasa Pura I planning director Yuda Prana Sugarda said in Jakarta on Wednesday, adding that during the first phase the company would construct access roads and substitute buildings.

The second phase will require Rp 344 billion, while the third and fourth phases will cost Rp 1.2 trillion and Rp 100 billion, he said.

Of this amount, up to Rp 1.2 trillion will be financed by the state and the government investment center, involving three state banks — Mandiri, BNI and BRI. The remainder will be taken from the company’s cash reserves.

According to an earlier report, under the planned expansion Angkasa Pura would switch the domestic and international terminals to cope with an increase in international passengers.

The new international terminal would also be expanded to cover 120,000 square meters.

The management also plans to build a 39,000-square-meter three-story parking with room for up to 1,500 vehicles.

By 2013, the airport’s terminals will cover 190,000 square meters and be able to serve up to 20 million passengers a year.

Thirteen young Indonesian scientists to compete in Moscow

Antara News, Thursday, December 23, 2010

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Thirteen shortlisted students will represent Indonesia at the 2011 International Conference of Young Scientists (ICYS) due to be held in Moscow, Russia, on April 24-29, a government official said.

Among them were two Balinese students, Jessica Ikhwan (SMA CHIS, Denpasar) and Luh Laksmi Dharayanti Satria (SMAN 1 Singaraja), Head of Bali province`s education, youth and sports office, I Wayan Suasta, said here Wednesday.

Jessica and Luh Laksmi were successful in a very tight national selection process recently held in Bandung, West Java province, along with 11 other junior and high school students, he said.

"They will defend Indonesia`s honor at the ICYS along with eleven other students who are successfully shortlisted in the national test in Bandung," he said.

The other students consisted of Arief Ridho Kusuma (SMAN 1 Samarinda), Sallie Naomi (SMP St. Laurensia, Tangerang), Michael Sunarto (SMP Chandra Kusuma, Medan), Christa Lorenzia Soesanto (SMA St. Laurensia, Tangerang) and Reza Abdurahman (SMA Taruna Nusantara, Magelang).

Then Ganang Albryansah (SMPN 1 Bontang), Dwiky Rendra Graha Subekti (SMA Theresiana 1 Semarang), Fialdy Josua Pattirajawane (SMP Chandra Kusuma Medan), Luthfi Mu`awan (SMAN 1 Purwareja), Luh Laksmi Dharayanti Satria (SMAN 1 Singaraja), Jessica Ikhwan (SMA CHIS Denpasar), Jessica Lo (SMA Kristen Cita Hati Surabaya) and Christy Hong (SMA St. Laurensia Tangerang).

"At the conference, students from various countries will compete in four research fields, namely physics, math, computer and ecology sciences," Suasta said.

Luh Laksmi Dharayanti herself would compete in ecology science by presenting her research outcome entitiled "The Utilization of Tea Warte (Camellia synensis) As Natural Marine Fish".

Her colleague, Jessica Ikhwan, would also compete in the same research topic by presenting her report titled "The Making of Artificial Reef".

"This is the first time for Bali to be able to send its students to this world`s young scientist conference," he said.

At the 2009 ICYS, held in Bali provincial capital of Denpasar, none of Balinese students was in the Indonesian team despite the fact that Bali was chosen by the central government as the host, he said.

"We hope our two students will be able to do their best at the prestigious conference," he said.

Gunanusa builds 650 million US dollar project

Antara News, Thursday, December 23, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Gunanusa Utama Fabricators is building three offshore oil/gas platforms at a total contract cost of 650 million US dollars.

President Director of Gunanusa Samad Solbai said here Wednesday the platforms are built in Cilegon, Banten, and will be installed at the Sea of Mumbai High, India, Siam bay, Thailand, and in Ujung Pangkah, East Java.

"The first project that had been completed was ONGC ICP-R which will be installed at Mumbai High," he said.

He added that the platforms will be sent to Mumbai High using three barges by the end of December 2010.

The topside of ONGC ICP-R weighs more than 9,000 tons consisting of five modules and will be unified during installation in India.

Samad also said the second project which will be sent is Hess Ujung Pangkah CPP and AUP weighing 6,000 tons for the Ujung Pangkah oilfield in East Java.

The central processing platform (CPP) weighing 2,650 tons with a 260 tons jacket, accommodation and utility platform (AUP) weighing 2,080 tons with a 260 tons jacket.

AUP will be the living quarters of 35 workers.

"The two structures will be installed in a depth of 10 meters," Samad.

The third project is a PTTEP QPS (Quarter Platform South) weighing 3,500 tons as living quarters of 158 workers.

The plantform will be installed off the Thailand Bay coast.

Samad also said that with special regard of ICP-R , his side is working on the entire proses of building the platforms starting from design/engineering, procurement, fabrication, transportation, installation, and commissioning.

"Not all manifacturers in Southeast Asia haved these skills," he said.

He added that the 99 percent of the three projects are being built by Indonesians.

The offshore platform consisted of two main parts, namely the upper side called topside as place for processing equipment, living quarters, offices and helicopter landing map, and the under it, the jacket, are the support poles planted on the seabed.

Gunanusa is a national contractor engaged in engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of oil and gas platforms.

The company which was established 30 years ago, had built more than 100 construction platforms.

Govt to tender Jakarta tap water pipeline in 2011

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 12/22/2010

The Public Works Ministry says it will hold a tender on a tap water pipeline project in July of 2011 to ensure Jakarta’s water supply.

The 58-kilometer pipeline will connect Jatiluhur dam in Purwakarta to a water treatment facility in Buaran, East Jakarta.

“Jakartans are now facing a tap water crisis, so we have to speed up the tender,” Rahmad Karnadi, the Public Works Ministry official in charge of the tender, said on Wednesday.

Rahmad said the project would require at least Rp 2 trillion (US$ 222 million) in investments.

“Construction will start in 2012 and will be completed by 2014,” Rahmad said.

He said he expected the government to allocate money to subsidize the pipeline construction.

“We need subsidies to lower the tap water rate to Rp 2,500 per cubic meter. That is affordable for most people,” Rahmad said.

He added that the current rate was Rp 4,000 per cubic meter.

Govt to issue guarantee for winner of C. Java electricity project

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/21/2010

The government says it will issue a letter of guarantee for the winner of a 2 x 1,000-megawatt power plant project in Central Java, aimed at providing security for the executor of the long-term project.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said Tuesday there were currently seven bidders from three different countries bidding for the project, which is the government’s prime public-private-partnership infrastructure project for the year 2010.

“We’re currently preparing the contract. Once the winner of the bid is known, we will issue the guarantee letter,” Agus said after a Cabinet meeting on public-private-partnership programs at the Vice Presidential Office in Jakarta.

He added that the tender for the power plant project would be held in January.

Different from clarification letters the government has issued for previous infrastructure projects, Agus said, a letter of guarantee would provide more clarity over clauses the government would guarantee for its partners in the execution of a public-private-partnership project.

“It covers, among other things, guarantees regarding license-related risks, force majeure risks and (state electricity company) PLN’s obligations to project companies. So it has quite wide coverage.”

Agus said the 2 x 1,000-megawatt power plant project in Central Java was estimated to be worth US$3 billion and take 54 months to construct.

Tuesday's Cabinet meeting also discussed the progress of preparations of four other public-private-partnership projects, including the construction of a railway from Manggarai in Central Jakarta to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on Jakarta’s outskirts.

Pelindo to construct Kalibaru port in January

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/20/2010

State port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) II revealed Monday that it would start construction on the Kalibaru port in North Jakarta in January next year.

“The tender process is still on-going. We expect groundbreaking in January,” Pelindo II President Director RJ Lino told reporters in Jakarta.

The company, along with state housing company PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP), plans to construct the Kalibaru port, which would require a Rp 6.2 trillion (US$ 689 million) investment.

The port construction, which is a part of an expansion project for the already crowded Tanjung Priok port, is expected to be completed by 2015.

Pelindo II, the largest port operator in Indonesia, manages 12 seaports, including Tanjung Priok and Sunda Kelapa in Jakarta, Bojonegara in Banten and Teluk Bayur in West Sumatra.

Jakarta, Amsterdam share best practices

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/20/2010

Clean water is becoming a serious problem in Indonesia due to prolonged difficulties faced by many local water companies, such as a shortage of raw water sources, high level of water leakage, mismanagement and unprofitable water rates that are far lower than production costs.

Ikhwan of the Indonesia Association of Water Supply Companies (PERPAMSI) said Wednesday that many people were unable to get enough clean water due to poor water delivery services, including high water leakage.

“A large percentage of water is lost in the delivery system. Technical solutions are needed to help local water companies deal with the problems, including how to prevent contamination in water pipelines and to deliver adequate water to remote areas as part of efforts to contain water-borne diseases,” he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a two-day national workshop of LOGO South Indonesia titled “Scaling Up Successes for Improved Water Services Delivery in Indonesia”, which ended Wednesday.

The workshop was held by the Indonesian-Netherlands Association (INA) in cooperation with LOGO South Indonesia Programme of VNG International, an organization of Dutch municipalities.

Ikhwan said many local water utilities could not run their businesses well as they were hampered by a lack of raw water sources. “We might resolve it by carrying out a kind of water regionalization to help solve the water supply industry’s problems. However, this would require sustained attention to policy, especially from the government. So, it won’t be easy,” he said.

Unprofitable water rates are another problem faced by many local water companies, which leads to poor performance. This has created inefficiency within local water utilities, resulting in failure to meet their obligations.

During the two-day meeting, LOGO South Indonesia and its counterparts, including several local water utilities, shared good practices achieved within its five-year program from 2005 to 2010. It also discussed a whole range of other issues, including how to set profitable water rates, reduce water losses, prevent contamination in water pipelines and deliver water to remote areas to contain water-borne diseases spread through poor water quality and sanitation.

Koos Dekkers of the World Waternet Foundation, representing Twinning Partners LOGO South Indonesia from the Netherlands, said there was a connection between drinking water and health.

He said about 90 percent of the households in Meranti regency in Riau Islands had no running water. ”They use rainwater for their daily consumption. The water, however, is placed in an open reservoir outside their houses, directly under the sun. As a result, the water temperature rises from 28 degrees to 38 degrees, making both bacteria and virus grow four times quicker,” he told the Post.

By simply building a roof over the water reservoir, people could keep their water clean.

“We only need a simple solution, instead of a sophisticated technique, to keep the water reservoir cooler so that bacteria will grow much less. However, people might not know about this,” Dekkers said, adding that about 600 people suffered from diarrhea every month due to poor water quality and sanitation.

Indonesian-Netherlands Association (INA) director Elmar Bouma said LOGO South Indonesia had supported the strengthening of local governments’ capacity to improve their water delivery services, such as in North Sumatra and three cities in West Java: Bogor, Banten and Sukabumi. (ebf)

Chandra Asri to build butadiene plant

Antara News, Monday, December 20, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Petrokimia Butadiene Indonesia (PBI), a subsidiary of petrochemical producer PT Chandra Asri, will soon build a butadiene plant, the first of its kind in Indonesia.

"We have set aside US$100 million to build a (butadiene) plant with a capacity of 100 thousand tons per year," PT Petrokimia Butadiene Indonesia Director Suhat Miyarso said on Sunday.

The plant will be built on 40,000 square meters of land in the PT Chandra Asri factory compound in Cilegon, Banten province, he said.

"We have secured a license from BASF to produce the first butadiene in Indonesia," he said.

The fund will entirely originate from PT Chandra Asri`s internal cash, he said.

"We are currently preparing a bidding process to decide an EPC contractor," he said.

He said PT Petrokimia Butadiene Indonesia has extended an invitation to a number of companies in South Korea, Japan and Italy, to file a bid for the project until March 2011.

Hopefully, the company will announce a winning bidder for the construction of the plant in May 2011 and work on the construction of the project can be started in June 2011, he said.

It will take two years to complete the project and the plant is expected to start producing in the second quarter of 2013, he said.

TEDx Again Inspires Indonesia With Raft of Innovative Ideas

Jakarta Globe, Ulma Haryanto | December 19, 2010      

Jakarta. Participants of the sixth TEDx Jakarta conference were mesmerized on Sunday by inspiring presentations on a range of topics by a digital inventor, a designer and an educator, among others.

Anies Baswedan, rector of Paramadina University,
 gave an update of Indonesia Mengajar (Indonesia Teaches),
a program that sends young high achievers to isolated
 regions across the archipelago to teach for a year.
(Photo courtesy of DDB Indonesia)    

TEDx Jakarta is a local version of the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference based in California.

The event at Usmar Ismail Hall in Kuningan, South Jakarta, was the second such event for the year, TEDx Jakarta’s co-curator Lalitia Apsari told the Jakarta Globe.

She added that TEDx Jakarta events are held three to four times annually.

On Sunday, Chandra Tresnadi, winner of the 2010 Indonesian ICT award (Inaicta) for his interactive, multiplayer batik Internet game, showed his invention on a large touch-screen display.

“The idea was to create a game that would promote social interaction and participation as well as communication with strangers,” he said.

Chandra also said he wanted to present batik to the public in a very accessible way.

Adi Panuntun, whose video-mapping project at Fatahillah Museum in West Jakarta in March drew 50,000 visitors, was also invited to speak.

“At the time [of the Fatahillah project] I found a challenge in the quest for public space in Jakarta. And since my background is design, I saw [and presented] things differently,” he said.

Back in March, Adi made a documentary about Jakarta and projected it on the facade of the Fatahillah Museum.

“In the film, the museum was the actor. I used the building to tell a story,” he said, adding that he called the technique “video mapping.”

Rene Suhardono, career coach and author of “Your Job is Not Your Career,” urged attendants to reconsider their conceptualization of happiness and passion.

“I would like to challenge everyone here to do 21 different things every day and write or tweet about it,” he said.

Betti Alisjahbana, former chief executive of IBM, talked about ITB Untuk Semua (ITB for All), a scholarship that also offers soft skills courses.

Anies Baswedan, rector of Paramadina University gave an update of Indonesia Mengajar (Indonesia Teaches), a program that sends young high achievers to isolated regions across the archipelago to teach for a year.

“Those on the front-line of education — the teachers — are crucial. That’s why we send these young people, to lead and to inspire,” Anies said.

Also addressing the event was Irma Windi Lubis and a group of 10 children from Sanggar Roda, an organization in East Jakarta, that gives youngsters non-formal education and moral support with the help of music.

The event organizers said they had to work hard to find a diverse group of speakers on various topics, which is the prime characteristic of all TED events.

“There are a lot of inspirational speakers we would like to invite, but aside from big names we also want to introduce those who are less familiar,” Lalitia said.

Arief Aziz, Karina Sigar and Kartika Anindya were longtime fans of TED videos — available on YouTube — and after they found out that TED launched TEDx, they immediately contacted the California committee.

“The first three events [we organized] were held for 80 attendants, where we would watch TED videos together and invited several speakers. But we got requests to hold a bigger event,” Arief told the Globe. The current event is their sixth.

Anton, 27, works in advertising and Sunday marked his first visit to TEDx Jakarta.

“I’ve been subscribing to TED videos since college and was excited to know similar events are held here,” he said, adding that he hoped more speakers from other disciplines would attend.

“An astronomer for instance — topics that are outside of the mainstream,” he added.

Atten Dhaniel, 22, went to TEDx for the first time after his teacher talked about the videos. After attending the third event, he decided to offer his services as a volunteer.

Dhaniel believes TEDx events have great educational value.

“My favorite was the talk on nanotechnology,” he said.

Edison, a business analyst for an oil company in his late 20s, was upbeat about his first TEDx experience.

“The atmosphere is very energizing, young, and creative. I am excited to listen to all speakers,” he said.