The Kerinci Merangin power project is a 420MW run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) under construction in the Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. It is intended to meet the peak electricity demand in southern Sumatra.
Bukaka Mega Investama (BMI), a subsidiary of Bukaka Teknik Utama (BUKK), is developing the project with an estimated investment of $861.8m.
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Kerinci Merangin Hydro (KMH), an affiliate of BMI established in March 2012, is responsible for the construction and operation of the plant.
Civil construction works on the project are underway, while the delivery of turbines and generators is scheduled to begin from September 2023. The plant is expected to commence operations by June 2025.
Location and site details
The Kerinci Merangin hydroelectric power plant is located in the Kerinci Regency, approximately 400km away from Jambi, the capital city of Jambi Province.
The project site is situated at the centre of Sumatra Island, 377km away from the port of Teluk Bayur in West Sumatra.
Water source for the Kerinci Merangin power plant
The Kerinci Merangin hydropower plant will use water from the Merangin River and the Kerinci Lake. The Merangin River will discharge water at an average rate of 59.4 cubic metres per second (m3/s).
The catchment area between Lake Kerinci and the dam will occupy 393km2.
Kerinci Merangin hydroelectric power plant make-up
The hydroelectric power plant will be equipped with four 105MW high-head and high-speed Francis turbine generator sets from Toshiba. The turbines will be designed to operate at a water head higher than 400m.
Other key components of the project will include a generator, a transformer, and a 150kV switchyard.
Power transmission
The electricity generated by the Kerinci Merangin hydroelectric power plant will be evacuated through a 2.5km-long, 150kV power line connecting the transmission network of Indonesia’s state-owned Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).
Power purchase agreement
PLN signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KMH in July 2013 for the purchase of electricity generated by the Kerinci Merangin hydropower plant.
In continuation to the MoU, PLN finalised a power purchase agreement (PPA) with KMH in November 2018.
Contractors involved
Toshiba’s Chinese subsidiary Toshiba Hydro Power (Hangzhou) (THPC) and Indonesian subsidiary Toshiba Asia Pacific Indonesia (THPI) together received a contract from KMH to manufacture and supply four hydro turbines and associated equipment for the project in September 2021.
Under the contract, THPC is responsible for the design and manufacturing of the four 105MW hydro turbines, while THPI will manage the dispatch of instructors to execute the installation work on the site and provide online technical support to complete the project on time.
Hanesa Prima Teknikarya, a tunnelling, mining, and ground stabilisation company based in Indonesia, was engaged to construct a 2km-long, 9m-wide, and 10m-high tunnel for the project.
