Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2014 Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) energy economist\nFahmy Radhi has called for the development of new and renewable energy\n(NRE), including geothermal, to be further optimised.<\/p>\n
He said NRE development was essential and needed to be pursued with\nclear and sustained priorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia still has considerable geothermal potential, but it has\nnot been explored optimally. This is a challenge,\u201d Fahmy said in a\nstatement in Jakarta on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
According to a presentation by the Geological Agency of the Ministry\nof Energy and Mineral Resources in August 2026, Indonesia has geothermal\npotential of around 24 gigawatts (GW) across 368 locations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, installed geothermal power plant capacity, according to\ndata from the ministry\u2019s Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy\nand Energy Conservation, stands at just 2,776 megawatts (MW), or about\n11.6 per cent of the total potential.<\/p>\n
In other words, around 88 per cent of Indonesia\u2019s geothermal\npotential could still be harnessed as a future energy source.<\/p>\n
Fahmy said the substantial gap between potential and utilisation made\nthe centenary of geothermal energy a reminder of the need for more\nserious and focused action.<\/p>\n
This includes encouraging more investors to participate in\nexploration.<\/p>\n
He said NRE development had begun, but its direction needed to be\nclarified, given Indonesia\u2019s diverse and abundant resources.<\/p>\n
He therefore urged the government to establish NRE as a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision is that NRE is the priority,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
From a market perspective, Fahmy said geothermal energy continued to\noffer strong prospects. Geothermal electricity could provide an\nalternative to coal-fired power for both households and industry.<\/p>\n
The development opportunity is also in line with PLN\u2019s 2025\u20132034\nElectricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL). Of the planned 69.5 GW in\nadditional generating capacity, 42.6 GW is to come from NRE-based power\nplants, with geothermal expected to contribute an additional 5.2 GW.<\/p>\n
Achieving that target will require national energy companies to make\nlong-term investments in exploration and drilling.<\/p>\n
One company playing a role is listed firm PT Pertamina Geothermal\nEnergy Tbk (PGEO), which currently manages 15 geothermal working areas\nwith a total installed capacity of 1,932 MW. This comprises 727 MW\noperated directly and 1,205 MW under joint operating contracts,\nequivalent to around 70 per cent of national geothermal capacity.<\/p>\n
As geothermal energy marks a century since the first drilling at the\nKamojang crater in West Java in 1926, this resource must be better\nharnessed to strengthen Indonesia\u2019s energy security in the future.<\/p>\n
This role is rooted in a long history: Indonesia\u2019s geothermal\npotential was first identified 100 years ago at Kamojang, West Java,\nwhere PGEO continues to operate.<\/p>\n
Steam has been produced consistently from well KMJ-3 since 1926,\nmaking it one of the early milestones in the country\u2019s geothermal\nindustry.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, PGEO aims to increase its self-operated capacity to 1\nGW by 2028 and 1.8 GW by 2034, in line with the RUPTL.<\/p>\n
Fahmy emphasised that energy self-sufficiency required not only a\nwider range of energy sources, but also the resolve to set priorities\nbased on domestic potential.<\/p>\n
Co-operation between the government, national energy companies and\ninvestors is key to ensuring geothermal potential is fully harnessed in\nthe second century of its development.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeveloping NRE is essential and must be pursued continuously,\u201d Fahmy\nsaid.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expert-calls-for-geothermal-development-to-be-further-optimised-1793076863", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }