Indonesia hydropower project seeks new partners after Sumitomo impasse

Talks ongoing with another Japanese company, Chinese firms, Prabowo's brother

20240531 Kayan project

A construction site for the Kayan Cascade hydropower project in North Kalimantan province, Indonesia. As of May 30, the physical construction of the dam has yet to start. (Photo by Erwida Maulia)

ERWIDA MAULIA, Nikkei staff writer

TANJUNG SELOR, Indonesia -- Indonesian company Kayan Hydro Energy is exploring new potential partnerships after its agreement to jointly develop a large hydroelectric station on Borneo island with Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp. reached a stalemate.

The cooperation between KHE and Sumitomo for the development of the Kayan Cascade project in North Kalimantan province, in the Indonesian parts of Borneo, was announced in October 2022. The project includes plans to construct five dams on the banks of the Kayan river to produce a total of 9 gigawatts of electricity, which would make it the largest hydropower station in Southeast Asia if completed. Sumitomo has invested 270.9 billion rupiah ($16.7 million) in KHE, according to a legal document.

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