Riau Island Is Considering Tidal Powered Power Plant

Posted on Apr 24, 2010

Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Sondi Amar, said that the government is currently reviewing a plan to build a tidal powered power plant.

Tidal Power is Practically Free to Operate

“At the moment, the development of electric power using ocean currents to increase electrical energy resource in Indonesia, especially in the islands, is being reviewed” said Sondi after attending Riau Island development plan discussion in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Wednesday.

He says, in the Riau Islands has the potential to develop tidal powered power plant because it has a fairly strong sea currents sufficient to move the propeller to rotate the turbine to generate electricity.

“In a study being done today, to cost of building a tidal powered power plant is apparently much cheaper than building normal power plant like steam, gas or diesel,” he said.

According to him, while it is cheaper, it also has zero emissions because it uses only propeller placed under the sea surface powered by the ocean currents.

“Production cost of electricity generated from ocean current is very cheap and more environmentally friendly,” he said.

At the moment there are people who claimed that the electricity generated from the sea current is more expensive. He suggests people to be very cautious about that because the study so far has proven otherwise.

“Maybe those are the gas and oil mafia who do not want to se the development of tidal power plant,” he said, jokingly.

At the moment his ministry is still following the 10,000 MW programs by the President.

“At the very least this can be one of the options available to the provincial government. If the cost to utilized the sea current proven to be feasible then why not?” he said.

Bappenas he said has taken several steps to recommend policies regarding this, however, more steps need to be done to convince all agencies involved that this project is indeed economical.

“We hope by next year we already candidate for the construction of tidal powered power plant,” he hoped.