Indonesia to raise geothermal power

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will increase its geothermal power generation capacity to above 2,800 Megawatt (MW) by 2004 from the current capacity of 307.5 MW, an official said yesterday.

A senior official from state electricity company PLN, Aswani Sjechumar, said the government planned to increase geothermal power generation capacity by 2,500 MW by the end of the seventh Five-Year Development Plan in 2003/2004.

"This additional power will increase the ratio of the geothermal power production to the country's total power production to 12.5 percent in 2003/2004 from only 2 percent now," Aswani told a seminar on geothermal power.

He said Indonesia's power generation capacity from all power sources was projected to increase to 39,737.5 MW by 2003/2004 from 14,998 MW at present.

Aswani said Indonesia has a geothermal resource supply of over 20,000 MW, making it one of the biggest in the world. But only 0.23 percent of this has been developed.

Indonesia has geothermal power plants in the West Java towns of Kamojang (capacity 140 MW), Salak (110 MW), Drajat (55 MW), all in West Java.

There is also a plant in Lahendong, North Sulawesi, with a 2.5 MW generating capacity.

Aswani said 309.5 MW of the 2,500 MW of planned geothermal power projects would be developed by PLN and the rest by private contractors.

PLN will develop plants at Kerinci (2.4 MW) in West Sumatra, Tulehu (10 MW), Lahendong (40 MW), Hu'u (10 MW), Mutubusa (7.5 MW) and Sembalun (MW) in Lombok, Ulumbu in Flores (3 MW), Darajat (55 MW) and Salak (165 MW).

Private contractors will develop geothermal power plants in North Sumatra in Sarulla (275 MW), Sibayak (2 MW), Sibayak I (120) in Lampung at Lumutbalai (110), Ulubelu (110 MW), Tompaso (20 MW) in North Sulawesi and in Bedugul (220 MW) in Bali.

Private contractors will also build several geothermal plants in West Java in Cibuni (10), Darajat I (275 MW), Dieng (170 MW), Kamojang I (60 MW), Karaha (220 MW), Patuha (220 MW), Salak I (165 MW), Wayang Windu (220 MW).

The minister of mines and energy, I.B Sudjana, said the government had prioritized geothermal steam development as an alternative energy source because it was environmentally friendlier than other sources.

Geothermal resources are mostly in Java and Bali which have good electricity networks and big demand. (jsk)