Mamberamo River Basin Threatened by Mega Project
12/8/97
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Mamberamo River Basin Threatened by Mega Project
Source: "Watch Indonesia!"
Status: Contact source to reprint
Date: 12/8/97
Dear friends,
There are some bad news about Mamberamo, the huge project in the north
of the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya (Westpapua) in the river
catchment area of the Mamberamo River. It was first the brainchild of
the Indonesian Minster for Technology, Habibie, to develop a huge
industrial and agricultural area, supplied witch energy by dams for
hydropower. Habibies tries to attract mainly German and Australian
industry and funding. Some of us thought until now, that there was no
great interest by German industry because the project, including the
utilisation of waste gas from the gas field of the Natuna Islands, seems
to be just like nonsense, as Down To Earth wrote.
But recently we learnt some different news. In the beginning of December
there has been a meeting of the German - Industrial Forum, one of the
networkings to promote the economic relationships. A friend of us who is
an economic consultant, managed it to get an invitation to the meeting.
He and his wife realised, that there was an workshop on Mambramo, even
though this workshop was not publicly announced in the program.
Participants (not all) were:
Dr. Hans Grybeck, Ferrostaal AG,Eisenbau Essen GmbH;
Clemens Mastert, EKONID - AHK Jakarta (EKONID- kind of German -
Indonesian chamber of commerce and trade),
Dr. Kurt W.H. Pfeiffer, Siemens AG Representative Office Indonesia,
Dr. Cristoph Schug, Linde AG (from Hoellriegelskreuth);
Dr. Mengels, Ferrostaal;
Dr. Zenhein, probably Siemens; Suleman Wiradidjaya;
Mr. Komarudin, Deputi Ketua Bidang Analisa Sistem (from BPPT);
Wisnoentoro Martokoesoemo, PT Energi System Indonesia; Kodyat Samadikun,
Zeta Corporation (probably a friend of the Suharto Son Bambang);
Osriman Oesman, PT Siemens Indonesia;
JI Pattiasina, PT Mitra Inti Perdana;
Bachtiar Sonda, PT Asosiasi Perdagagangan International;
Armand Mahadi, PT Krakatau Daya Listrik (of Habibie);
Reza R. Moenaf, PT ABB Energy Systems Indonesia
Prof. Katili (formerMP)
1 All the project should be handled confidential, in the eyes of the
participants. It was not only the lacking of a publicly announcement of
the workshop. Grybeck, who also helped to build Habibie=92s steelworks
Krakatau, is a responsible from the German company Ferrostaal, one of
the 3 companies which each spent 100 000 DM for a prefeasibility study.
He told the project should be handled as =84low profile". He obviously
fears for (international?) campaigning against it and told, that there
has been already someone, who asked him for an meeting about the project
(This was one of us and we still hope, to hold some meetings next year).
He recommended to wait for the outcome of the feasibility studies, which
is already outlined in the Terms of References (12 Studies on several
projects, including-but not all- about the processing of the Natuna gas
and of copper from Freeport or an Environmental Impact Assessment).
Grybeck hopes, that with this study they can prove the feasibilty and
that it is not harmful to environment and that they can calm protest
down.
In the workshop, someone also remarked, that participants should be only
those, who are interested in investment and that it was not just for
information. Our friend thinks, it was directed to her, but she just
stayed and leaving the room later, she heard another time whispering
from one Indonesian to another to be cautious.
That's the cause, we tell you all that.
When we made our first telephone contacts to Mr Grybeck and one of his
colleague from HochTief, the second of the large interested companies
(third is Siemens), they behaved sceptical and reserved towards the
project.
2 Someone in the workshop reported that Habibie recently had a meeting
with Cancellor Kohl. He received Kohls recommendation for the project
and with this recommendation they hope that it was easier to find
finances for the feasibility study (Terms of References) and the
project. There seems as if there until now was no officially involvement
of the German govt.. I think the companies want to use the outcomes of
the feasibility study too, to ask for official supply (by loans and so
on).
3 Mr. Pfeiffer from Siemens told, the area is threatened by
earthquakes.
4 There are some differences about the concept of the projects. The
Indonesian side wants to start with the dams and then develop the
industry, the Germans want it the other way round, to start with the
industrial area and in connection of this to consider the question of
energy.
The fist 5 Year Development Plan:
Dam and hydropower, 5000 MW=97Financing by BOT---5000-7500 Mrd US$
(Mio??)
Pioneer industries
Aluminium---- Financing by BOT ---1000-1500 Mrd US$ (Mio??)
Steel Hydrogen--- Financing by BOT ----2500-5000 Mrd US$(Mio??)
Copper Smelter--- Financing by BOT ---25000-5000 Mrd US$(Mio??)
Petrochemical Industry-- Financing by BOT ---1000-2000 Mrd US$(Mio??)
Pulp and Paper Industry--- Financing by BOT ---1000-2000 Mrd US$(Mio??)
Shipyard--- Financing by BOT ---1000 - 2000 Mrd US$(Mio??)
Basic Infrastructure--- Financing by Govt---400 - 600 Mrd (Mio??)
Industrial Estate=97Financing---200-300 Mrd US$(Mio??)