Physical Development Of PLTA Kayan Starting 2023, Director Of KHE: Needs Matang Planning

Director of Operations KHE Khaerony. PHOTO: Rifai-VOI

JAKARTA - The construction of the Kayan Hydro Energy (KHE) hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA) project, which is being worked on by PT Kayan Hydro Energy (KHE) has entered an expansion process such as road construction.

KHE Khaerony's Director of Operations said that some of the difficulties faced by KHE when starting the dam construction process were like obtaining permits and research processes.

"Maybe people are asking why it took so long? What are the obstacles? Actually, if the hydropower plant needs to be well-planned and old, there is a long technical study because it is for safety and a definite design so as not to fail to wake up," he told the media in Tanjung Selor, Monday, August 29.

Rony added that the difficulty faced by KHE in building a dam is the weight of the terrain which is quite far from the city and the presence of adequate road infrastructure so that it is burdensome for the process of mobilizing heavy equipment that will be used to start the construction process.

The only access that KHE can use is through waterways.

"During the season there is no rain upstream, the water is a bit receding so the ship carrying heavy equipment can run aground so it can't pass. You have to wait for the high tide, then the ship can pass," continued Rony.

The second obstacle faced is when taking care of the construction permit which takes 10 years.

Rony explained that the process of opening the road to the location of the first dam must cover heavy terrain such as steep mountains and forests so that it requires a lot of permission.

Regarding licensing, KHE President Director Andrew Suryali explained, to build a dam, his party needed approximately 40 permits that could not be obtained within a year.

"PLTA development permit in Indonesia is quite complicated. The permit process takes 10 years and requires a Borrowing Permit to Use Forest Areas (PPKH) because it is in a protected forest area," said Andrew.

Moreover, he said, KHE had faced a situation in the expansion of the provinces of East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan so that his party had to take care of permits from the beginning in the newly contested Kaltara region.

"Taking care of 40 permits takes 10 years. Not to mention being carried here and there from East Kalimantan to North Kalimantan and starting from the start," he said.

However, Andrew believes that the dam construction process will be completed on time in 2026 with the construction of Cascade 2 and 5 carried out in parallel.

Meanwhile, for Cascade 2-5, it takes 2-3 years each from Cascade 1.

"It is very optimistic that it can run according to the target because for Cascade 1 all permits have been completed while Cascade 2-5 permits are also complete," he concluded.