Government Prepares US$160 Million Investment to Restore Sarulla Geothermal Power Plant Capacity
The government is preparing an investment of approximately US$160 million, or around Rp 2.6 trillion, to restore the production capacity of the Sarulla Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) in North Tapanuli, North Sumatra. This step serves as the initial phase before developing Sarulla’s geothermal potential, which is estimated to reach 1,100 megawatts (MW).
Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Yuliot Tanjung, stated that the government aims to complete all administrative processes by October 2026 as a prerequisite for the investment. Following this, the capacity increase is targeted to take place between 2027 and 2028.
“First, from the administrative side, we will complete everything by October 2026. Once the administrative matters are settled, we will pursue the increase in production capacity during 2027-2028,” said Yuliot following a meeting at the Sarulla Geothermal Power Plant in North Tapanuli, North Sumatra.
Yuliot explained that the additional investment of approximately US$160 million is required to return the Sarulla plant’s production capacity to 330 MW, in line with its installed capacity. This restoration is a priority before the government proceeds with developing the remaining geothermal potential available in the area.
“New additional investment, estimated at around US$160 million, is needed to return to the 330 MW capacity from the existing 1,100 MW potential,” Yuliot added.
Currently, the production capacity of the Sarulla plant is at approximately 220 MW, a decrease of about one-third from its installed capacity. This decline is attributed to changes in steam pressure within the geothermal field, which presents a technical challenge in the plant’s operation.
The Sarulla Geothermal Power Plant is one of the nation’s strategic geothermal assets, located in the Pahae Julu and Pahae Jae districts of North Tapanuli. Operated by the Sarulla Operations Ltd. (SOL) consortium, the plant consists of three units—the Silangkitang (SIL) unit, the Namora-I-Langit 1 (NIL-1) unit, and the Namora-I-Langit 2 (NIL-2) unit—each with a capacity of 110 MW, which commenced commercial operations between 2017 and 2018.
Once the existing capacity is optimised, the government intends to continue phased investments to develop Sarulla’s geothermal potential up to approximately 1,100 MW. This development is expected to strengthen the clean energy supply and enhance long-term national energy security.