Kalla Group to Build Hydroelectric Plant

Mamuju, West Sulawesi (Antara) - West Sulawesi Governor Anwar Adnan Saleh said the Kalla Group would start construction of a 450 megawatt hydroelectric plant in Mamuju, in West Sulawesi province. The power plant, to be built in Tumbuan, the sub-district of Kalumpang, is designed to supply power to all of Sulawesi provinces, the governor said . Anwar said the Kalla Group, which is owned by former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, will invest up to Rp17 trillion in the project including road that would also facilitate transport to the power plant. "In the first phase, the company would build a 10-megawatt steam powered electric plant to supply power for eight villages in the Kalumpang sub-district, " he said The Kalla Group would supply power free to villages which have not been reached by the rural electrification program of the government around the power plant, he said. He said the Kalla Group has already started building a six meter wide 100-kilometer long paved road with concrete and asphalt. The provincial administration had failed in implementing the project because of financial difficulty, but the Kalla Group has pledged to bring it to reality, he said. "Construction of the road would be an answer to years of complaints of the local people," he said. Currently construction of the 100-kilometer road has been 15 kilometers completed, he said, adding the project is estimated to cost Rp700 billion. The project is priority to help facilitate distribution of goods to the hydroelectric project, he said. The hydroelectric project is expected to be operational in 2020. (*)