REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SAMARINDA -- A Singaporean company engaged in the field of renewable energy has expressed interest to build a solar power plant (PLTS) in the province of East Kalimantan.

"Solar Energy Investment, a Singaporean company, will install PLTS of five thousand megawatts in the province," East Kalimantan Governor Awang Faroek Ishak noted here on Wednesday.

Ishak stated that several investors from China, France, and Russia had shown interest to invest in the development of PLTS.

The governor revealed that the province was in dire need of electricity. The construction of more power plants was expected to boost local economic growth.

"We have operated solar power plants, but they are still unable to meet the electricity demands of the province," the governor pointed out.

The governor said the development of small-capacity PLTS had utilized the state or local budget.

"The establishment of large-capacity PLTS has never been planned as it requires a major investment," the governor noted.

With the development of PLTS, the governor believed that all villages in the province would be able to have access to electricity.

"The local administration will follow up on the plan, if the company has the permit," the governor said.

Meanwhile, head of the East Kalimantan Mining and Energy Agency Amrullah noted that the local government had constructed PLTS in the province, particularly in remote areas.

"This year, we will build PLTS, with a peak capacity of 50 and 67.2 kilowatts, in Kutai Barat," he revealed.

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina had earlier cooperated with three other state firms for developing PLTS, a Pertamina spokesperson stated.

The development of new and renewable energy projects will utilize the idle land owned by Pertamina and the other state firms, Pertamina Vice President for Corporate Communication Wianda Pusponegoro remarked here on Friday.

The three state firms are PT LEN Industri, PT Energi Management Indonesia, and PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur.

The cooperation between Pertamina and other firms is in line with the government's target to develop power plants, with a combined capacity of 35 gigawatts by 2019.

Hopefully, 25 percent, or 8.8 gigawatts, of electrical power will come from renewable energy sources, he affirmed.

The government has set a target to build power plants, with an installed capacity of five gigawatts, or five thousand megawatts, by 2020. Pertamina is committed to building PLTS, with a combined capacity of one thousand megawatts.

"Synergy among state-owned companies can hopefully encourage the realization of new and renewable energy projects in Indonesia, which will be started in North Sumatra, with a target of up to 60 megawatts in 2017. The projects will be implemented in the next three years to reach the target of 200 megawatts by using the idle land owned by Pertamina in several parts of Indonesia," he added.

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