Bali Energi to explore geothermal in Bedugul

Bali Energi Limited, in cooperation with PT Pertamina, will resume exploration activities on geothermal resource in Bedugul, Bali which was suspended in 1997 due to the economic crisis, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Saturday.

“The exploration works will be carried out soon after the villagers are well informed about the project,” Bali Energi’s president Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya said in Denpasar on Friday.

He said that he hoped the production test could be carried out during the period of May and June this year before the company began drilling works early in 2005. The geothermal resource would be used to generate electricity in the company’s geothermal power plant in Bedugul.

Ida Bagus Ngurah, a local businessman, took over Bali Energi from American investors in 2001, including its Bedugul geothermal power project. He would cooperate with Pertamina to resume the project and hoped the first unit of the power plant, which would have a capacity of 10 MW, could begin operation in April, 2006.

Ngurah said that the second unit, with a capacity of 55 MW, was scheduled for operation in June, 2008, while the third and fourth unit which would also have a capacity of 55 MW, each, would be operated in June, 2009 and in June, 2010, respectively.

According to him, the company would spend at least US$1.7 million for each MW of electricity to be produced. Since 1997, the company has invested about US$46.7 million in the geothermal project. (*)