REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Government is working out a master plan to develop petrochemical industry in Tangguh, West Papua. Fertilizer plant with the capacity of 2.3 million tonnes per year would be built in the area, the General Director of Manufacture Industry in the Ministry of Industry, Panggah Susanto, said on Sunday.
"The area will be equipped with methanol plant with capacity of 1.31 million tonnes per year, glycol ethers plant with the capacity of 160 thousand tonnes per year, polypropylene in 321 thousand tonnes per year, and ammoniac plant in 660 thousand tonnes per year," he explained.
Pusri, Mitsui, and Ferostaal companies, he said, were interested to build the area. Pusri plans to build two ammoniac urea plants, and each needs 900 million USD of investment. Mitsui dan Ferostaal are interested in investing on methanol plant which its derivative product can be use for LPG, polypropylene, and polyethylene. The investment value of each company is 800 million USD.
"The investment will be followed up soon if government release the data on gas reserve in the area," he said. If it is built according to plan, the area will approximately pour 1.977 billion USD and 197 million USD for tax income and definitely create new jobs since more than 60 thousand of manpower is needed to develop the area.