Our Corporate Communications staff spend time getting to know Sumitomo Corporation's different business sites around the world, reporting on how the people at those sites work. We will keep you up to date with the world of Sumitomo Corporation, which extends to every corner of the globe.
Katsuhiko Onishi,
Mass Media Relations Team and Publications Team, Corporate Communications Department
Upon joining the company in 2007, Onishi was assigned to the Corporate Communications Department. After tested by fire, he is now in charge of Mass Media Relations related to infrastructure and is responsible for creating and maintaining the “SC WORKMATES”, one of the contents of this website. His hobbies are singing and driving.
Full turnkey
A type of facility construction contract that covers every aspect of the job, ranging from civil engineering to installation of equipment and trial operation
Generation capacity
The maximum amount of electricity an electric power plant is capable of generating
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Indonesia, with a population of over 200 million, is experiencing brisk and powerful economic growth compared to its neighbors. At the same time, however, the country's infrastructure, including power and water supply, remains underdeveloped. There are many opportunities for general trading companies to contribute to infrastructure establishment in developing countries. For this issue, I have visited to the frontlines of Sumitomo Corporation's electric power business in Indonesia.
Did Indonesia get through the global recession without a scratch?
Indonesia is made up of a multitude of islands, spread out over a distance of 5,000 kilometers from east to west, that are home to a total of 230 million people. The vast length of the country is about the same as the distance between Indonesia and Japan. Indonesia is highly dependent on domestic demand, with its export-to-GDP ratio significantly lower than that of other Asian countries such as South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia. This is why Indonesia's domestic economy managed to come out relatively less damaged by the global recession that began in 2008. After a period of stagnation from January to March, the economy lifted, with the country's plant operation rate already recovering to the 2007 level in May and June in a demonstration of Indonesia's tremendously strong domestic demand.
While its economy is brisk and powerful, Indonesia's infrastructure, including power and water supply and transportation, remains far from complete, as can be seen in the frequent power failures that occur during times of peak demand. To respond to this situation, Sumitomo Corporation has been taking part in a number of power plant development projects to help the country secure a stable supply of electricity.
Exterior view of Tanjung Jati B, facing the Java Sea on the northern side of the island of Java
The first power plant I would like to tell you about is located on the outskirts of Jepara, a town about a three-hour drive from Semarang Airport in Central Java. The plant, called Tanjung Jati B, is a large-scale coal-fired thermal power plant with a net generation capacity of 1,320 megawatts (from two units of 660-megawatt plants). The total electricity demand of Java and Bali gird is about 16,000 megawatts at the peak load, meaning that Tanjung Jati B supplies almost 10% of the power needed in that grid. Having constructed this plant, Sumitomo finance-leases it to PT. PLN, the country's state-owned power utility.
Coal storage area capable of storing enough coal for a month and a half
What astonished me the most about this power plant was its enormous size. Everything from the coal crusher and boiler to the steam turbine was gigantic. Even the length of the access trestle to coal-carrying vessels' unloading jetty, stretched out over a distance of 1,368 meters, was breathtaking. The magnificent view of the power plant seen from this jetty made me realize again how large and extensive the business scale of a general trading company can be.
Combustion efficiency is enhanced by crushing coal into fine pieces before feeding it into the boilers
Furthermore, Tanjung Jati B adopts various systems that help the plant abide by environmental standards. For example, electrostatic precipitators are used to prevent the coal combustion ash from being emitted into the air. In addition, flue gas desulfurization equipment is installed to separate and collect the sulfur contained in flue gas.
Expansion work is underway. In July 2009, the foundation groundwork was being laid.
Tanjung Jati B is in the process of further expansion, with construction of another 1,320 megawatt power generation facility underway. Under the Indonesian government's policy to increase the electricity supply in Java and Bali, the expanded power plant with its enhanced capacity will take on an increasingly important national role following its completion, slated for early 2012.
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