Chinese companies are playing a major role in Indonesia's huge power plant projects, winning eight of ten projects on the main island of Java, English daily the Jakarta Post reported on Monday.

Under the so-called fast-track program, state-owned power utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) is building 35 coal-fired power plants to provide an additional 10,000 megawatts (MW) of power supply over three years up until the end of 2009.

Ten coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 6,900 MW will be built in Java, while 25 others, with a total capacity of 3,100 MW, will be built outside Java as part of the US$8 billion fast-track program.

A consortium led by Shanghai Electric recently kicked off the construction of the 1,050-MW Pelabuhan Ratu power plant, which is the biggest project under the fast-track program.

Aside from Shanghai Electric, a number of other Chinese companies, including one of China's largest power companies, Harbin Power Engineering, have won projects under the fast-track program.

In addition, PLN expects to sign one more contract with China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach) for the construction of the 600-MW Tanjung Awar Awar plant in East Java, according to the report.