West Papua prepares to build thermal power plant

West Papua Power Plant – 2nd October 2015

“This power plant will have the capacity to generate 100 megawatts of power.”

Manokwari (ANTARA News) – The West Papua provincial administration is preparing a plan to build a thermal power plant, which will utilize the gas produced by an oil and gas company operating in Bintuni Bay district.

Head of the Mining and Energy Office John Tulus stated here on Friday that the gas to power the plant will be provided by British Petroleum, which operates in Tangguh, Bintuni Bay district.

“This power plant will have the capacity to generate 100 megawatts of power,” he added.

According to Tulus, the plant will be able to meet the electricity needs of the entire district and city in West Papua.

The office has been drafting a local regulation on the establishment of a province-owned enterprise that will manage the steam power plant.

Tulus explained that the West Papua provincial administration and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the power plant project.

Head of Transportation, Communication and Information Office Heriawan Susanto remarked that a railway line is being constructed in West Papua in accordance with the development plan of the power plant.

He pointed out that the rail network will be connected to Bintuni Bay. In fact, the train network connecting to the district is one of the main railway lines in the province.

If the rail network is connected, the trains will be able to transport the mineral and gas commodities to and from Bintuni Bay.

“The transportation of gas using a railway link will be more effective and efficient as compared to using ships,” Heriawan added.
(Uu.KR-LWA/INE/KR-BSR/F001)

Notes

A former Dutch colony, West Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, after an undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders. The result of the plebiscite was overseen and endorsed by the United Nations.