A coal-fired power plant (PLTU) in Cirebon that is expected to supply electricity to Bali and Java will be operational by October 2011, says a government official.

“Construction is 85 percent complete and the remaining 15 per-cent will be complete by October next year,” M. Arsjad Rasjid PM, president director of PT Indika Energy, said in Cirebon on Monday.

The plant, the Cirebon Electric Power (CEP) PLTU, began construction in 2007 and is expected to operate commercially in October 2011. The US$850 million plant has been hailed as the largest private PLTU in the country.

Arsjad was accompanied by vice president director Wishnu Wardhana and Cirebon Regent Dedi Supardi.

Arsjad said the project would help solve the national power crisis. “The CEP PLTU will produce 660 megawatts of power, which could meet the power needs of Java and Bali,” he said.

Wishnu said the company was working with state power company PLN to meet Java’s and Bali’s demand for power.

“We have reached an agreement with PLN on a 30-year working contract. PLN will buy power from the CEP PLTU,” said Wishnu.

PT Indika Energy has forged an agreement with investors from Japan and Korea. “Of the total amount of investment, 70 percent has come from foreign investors,” said Arsjad.

Dedi said he applauded the plant and expected it would attract more investment to the regency.

“We have opened our doors wide for investment in Cirebon. Investment will have a positive impact on economic growth for the people of Cirebon,” he said.

The power plant site is located on a 100-hectare plot in a coastal area near Kanci Kulon village, Astanajapura district.

“We have asked investors to empower the residents at the buffer zone of the plant,” Dedi said.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, electricity customers have complained about PLN’s pre-paid electricity vouchers, saying that it has been hard to buy the vouchers.

“I could not buy vouchers last night because the PLN counter was closed. We had to sleep in the dark until morning. I wish the vouchers were available anytime. This obviously deprives customers,” said Murni, a customer, said.

She said PLN should have set up infrastructure and supporting facilities, especially at voucher counters, which should be open around the clock, so customers could buy the tokens on demand.

Muhammad Yamin Loleh, a PLN official for South, Southeast and West Sulawesi, said his office was still revamping the system, including setting up more counters selling power vouchers.

— Andi Hajramurni contributed to the story from Makassar .