KHE Has Completed All Kayan Hydropower Development Permits

Deputy Regent of Bulungan Ingkong Ala. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

PT Kayan Hydro Energy (KHE) has confirmed that it has completed all permits related to the construction of the Kayan dam project and hydroelectric power plant (PLTA).

Deputy Regent of Bulungan, Ingkong Ala, is grateful to be able to see the progress of the construction of the first dam of the Kayan hydropower plant directly. In fact, seeing the preparation for road infrastructure development. Where 3 kilometers (km) have been released.

"I came today, I am also grateful because they also invited me, I can see the progress that we just reviewed. Because when I arrived about 5 months ago, we checked the explosive warehouse yesterday," he said at the Kayan Cascade hydropower construction arena, Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan Province, Sunday, December 10.

Regarding licensing, Ingkong said that there was indeed an expired permit, but KHE had applied for an extension of the permit. This submission is carried out in conjunction with the construction at the project site.

"They have taken care of everything (permission), this is finished, some died, they repeated it while working. Those are the existing progresses, because even though they have finished doing it, maybe 3 years ago they died again, but they don't stop (building). We'll see the progress that already exists," he explained.

Meanwhile, KHE Khaeroni's Director of Operations explained that his party had completed all project construction permits.

One of them is related to the request for a dam redesign from the Directorate General of Water Resources (SDA) of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).

"There really is no problem with the Directorate General of Natural Resources. This has also been held twice at the Presidential Staff Office. And also a letter response has been carried out, and it has been running normatively. They also don't mind," he said.

Furthermore, Roni, Khaeroni's nickname, explained that through the meeting the dam construction would still be carried out without moving the location.

"There is no change in location, so just keep going," he explained.

In addition, Roni said PT KHE also had no problems with the permit for the location for the construction of the hydropower plant in the Kayan River.

The reason is, the authority to grant location permits has changed hands from local governments to the central government.

"We have gone through the area, then we have followed the regulatory changes. In the ministry too, we have received the permit. If in the past it was called a location permit, now the nomenclature has changed to KKPR (Compliance of Spatial Utilization Activities)," he said.

"It's been 2019 since the transfer of regulations, we've got it. Because we already have a valid basis for permission from local governments, and we have to adjust. There is already a basic permit that we can get, so it's just a matter of completing and the government issuing it again," he concluded.