VP VISITS SULEWANA HYDRO-POWER PLANT IN POSO

Poso, Central Sulawesi, July 18 (ANTARA) - Vice President M Jusuf Kalla here on Friday visited the Sulewana hydro-power plant (PLTA) at Sulewana village, North Pamona sub district, Poso District, Central Sulawesi.

The vice president was accompanied by Mrs. Mufidah Kalla, State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil, and Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

Construction of the hydro-power plant was started in April 2005 by PT Haji Kalla, PT Bukaka Hydropower Engineering and Consulting Company, and its subsidiary PT Poso Energy. The plant, running on energy from the Sulewana water-fall, is expected to produce 180 MW of electricity.

Three hydro-power plants have been constructed to supply electricity on Sulawesi Island. The plants are PLTA Poso I with a capacity of 160 MW , PLTA Poso II (Sulewana) 180 MW, and PLTA Poso III 300-400 MW.

Vice President M Jusuf Kalla and his entourage are on a two-day visit to Central Sulawesi, from July 18 to 19, 2008.

During his stay in the province, Kalla and his entourage are scheduled to visit Palu, Poso, Tentena, Tojo-Unauna, and Tolitoli districts.

In Poso, the vice president will visit Ittihadul Ummah modern Islamic boarding school and Tentena Christian University (Unkrit),
Kalla will also hold a dialog with local farmers in Ampana, Tojo-Unauna District. He will attend meetings with Golkar Party cadres in Palu and Tolitoli.

From Central Sulawesi, the vice president and entourage will visit Gorontalo and Manado, North Sulawesi.