TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Industry Minister Saleh Husin said that the 35,000 MW electricity project must prioritize local products in its development.

“We want local content to be prioritized,” Saleh said during the celebration of the 40^th anniversary of PT Siemens Indonesia on Thursday, Oct 8, 2015.

Saleh added that efforts made by PT Siemens Indonesia to generate 16,000 - 20,000 megawatt of electricity through its switch panel must be supported.

“We must support [Siemens Indonesia], so the state electricity company (PLN) can use one of the products made in Indonesia,” Saleh added.

Saleh hopes that other companies would build their production facilities in Indonesia, in a bid to make the country as a production base to meet demands from domestic and ASEAN markets.

The government has planned to develop the 35,000 MW electricity project that consists of 291 power plants, 732 transmission systems until 75,000 kilometers of tower sets, and 1,375 main stations. It was predicted that the investment for the project would reach US$72.9 billion.

Currently, PLN owns 28 percent of the project comprising 102 power plant projects with a total capacity of 9,945 megawatts. Private companies had been assigned to build 110 power plants with a total capacity of 25,584 megawatts.

MAYA AYU PUSPITASARI