Nurseffi Dwi Wahyuni

Jakarta - PT PLN (Persero) will purchase electricity from the biomass power plant owned by PT Navigat Organik Indonesia in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi up to 12 Megawatts (MW) in the next three years.

According to Mochammad Sofyan, head of PLN's New and Renewable Energy division, PLN has now finalized negotiations with a private power contractor (Independent Power Producer/IPP) that will develop electricity from waste processing in the area.

""The selling price of electricity has been agreed upon at Rp 800 per kwh. We have completed negotiations and are currently awaiting approval from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources," said Sofyan at PLN Headquarters, Jalan Trunojoyo, Jakarta, Friday (16/7/2010).

Currently, the capacity of the plant is only 2 MW, it is expected that in the next three years the capacity of the plant can reach 12 MW.

According to him, the waste power plant in Bekasi requires an investment of between US$3.5 million to US$4 million per megawatt. "The plant is expected to be operational within 3 years,"" he said.

In addition to Bekasi, Sofyan continued, a waste power plant is also likely to be developed in Bandung. He said Bandung has the potential for waste power between 6 to 10 MW. Currently, an IPP is conducting a feasibility study for the project.(epi/ang)