The Jakarta Post, Batang, Mon, September 03 2012
Thousands of residents of Ujungngegoro beach in Batang, Central Java, protested against the construction of a steam power plant (PLTU) in the area on Monday, insisting that it would harm the environment and threaten their livelihoods.
Another demonstration was also held in front of the Semarang State Administrative Court (PTUN) when residents filed a lawsuit against the Batang regent for making a bylaw that contradicted other regulations.
The bylaw, they said, allowed the power plant to be built on land in Karanggeneng subdistrict, Kandeman, Batang and at sea in Ujungnegoro-Roban waters.
The Ujungnegoro-Roban coastal area was declared a Local Sea Tourism Object under Government Regulation No. 26/2008. According to the Central Java provincial bylaw No 6/2010 on spatial planning, part of the project’s site at sea infringes upon a protected area.
Should the power plant be established, it would disturb the balance of the ecosystem, locals said. The residents are supported by environmental NGO Greenpeace and the Semarang Legal Aid Institute.
Scheduled to start begin construction in October this year, PLTU Batang is projected to be one of the largest steam power plants in Southeast Asia, with a production capacity of 2 X 1,000 megawatts (MW). The PLTU is expected to provide a significant portion of the electricity supply in Java.
It is designed to occupy a plot of between 250 and 350 hectares and employ 2,800 workers.
di 4 sep 2012 - 2:55