TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said that the government is aiming to connect 60,000 houses to natural gas distribution networks. “It will hopefully be 100,000 next year,” he said yesterday when inspecting a natural gas network for houses in Mojokerto, East Java. The Ministry is planning to add natural gas distribution networks for houses as well as non-industry community members or institutions, such as Islamic boarding schools.
This year and next year’s targets will add to the existing gas distribution networks established from 2009 to 2016. “In the last seven years, almost 190,000 [houses] are connected [to gas distribution networks],” he said.
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Jonan added that the installment of natural gas pipelines is quite expensive. “A connection to a house could cost Rp10-13 million,” he said.
Ignasius Jonan yesterday inspected the installation of natural gas networks for houses in Mojokerto and Sidoarjo District. Suko Hartono, president director of state-owned Pertamina Gas (Pertagas), said that the company will connect 31 houses in six districts to natural gas networks. “The [installation] will be completed by December 2017 and will be enjoyed by residents in early 2018,” he said.
ISHOMUDDIN