Indonesia plans Borneo’s largest dam
State-owned China Power Investment Corporation has announced plans to build a 7,000-megawatt hydroelectric dam in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, dwarfing Borneo’s current largest hydropower facility, the 2,400-megawatt Bakun dam in Sarawak, Malaysia.
The $17-billion project is due to commence in 2014 and be constructed in stages along the Kayan River.
The announcement was made following a meeting between Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik and China Power Investment Vice President Xia Zhong.
The mega-dam has gained favour due to the inexorable rise of energy demands in the archipelago, ASEAN’s largest economy, projected to grow 6.5 per cent in 2013.
According to Indonesian power firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), electricity demand for the country will surge 10 per cent each year along with continued economic growth, introducing electricity-sucking white goods into the new ranks of the middle class.
China’s entry into Indonesian Borneo meets the suggestions of International Hydropower Association (IHA), which has said that hydropower development should be supported by the private sector.
China Power Investment is the same developer of Myanmar’s 3,600-mega watt Myitsone hydroelectric facility, a project that has been met with opposition due to the displacement of more than 10,000 ethnic Kachin people.
However, in a backpedalling move, the World Bank recently stated that it will now support the idea of extending assistance to large-scale hydropower plants around the world, acknowledging the energy developments as a tool to eradicate poverty.
State-owned China Power Investment Corporation has announced plans to build a 7,000-megawatt hydroelectric dam in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, dwarfing Borneo’s current largest hydropower facility, the 2,400-megawatt Bakun dam in Sarawak, Malaysia. The $17-billion project is due to commence in 2014 and be constructed in stages along the Kayan River. The announcement was made following a meeting between Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik and China Power Investment Vice President Xia Zhong. The mega-dam has gained favour due to the inexorable rise of energy demands in the archipelago, ASEAN’s largest economy, projected to grow 6.5 per cent in 2013....
State-owned China Power Investment Corporation has announced plans to build a 7,000-megawatt hydroelectric dam in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, dwarfing Borneo’s current largest hydropower facility, the 2,400-megawatt Bakun dam in Sarawak, Malaysia.
The $17-billion project is due to commence in 2014 and be constructed in stages along the Kayan River.
The announcement was made following a meeting between Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik and China Power Investment Vice President Xia Zhong.
The mega-dam has gained favour due to the inexorable rise of energy demands in the archipelago, ASEAN’s largest economy, projected to grow 6.5 per cent in 2013.
According to Indonesian power firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), electricity demand for the country will surge 10 per cent each year along with continued economic growth, introducing electricity-sucking white goods into the new ranks of the middle class.
China’s entry into Indonesian Borneo meets the suggestions of International Hydropower Association (IHA), which has said that hydropower development should be supported by the private sector.
China Power Investment is the same developer of Myanmar’s 3,600-mega watt Myitsone hydroelectric facility, a project that has been met with opposition due to the displacement of more than 10,000 ethnic Kachin people.
However, in a backpedalling move, the World Bank recently stated that it will now support the idea of extending assistance to large-scale hydropower plants around the world, acknowledging the energy developments as a tool to eradicate poverty.
