Forestry permits hamper Lumut Balai and Karaha Bodas projects
Tuesday, March 29 2011 - 03:14 AM WIB
PT Pertamina Geothermal Energi (PGE), a subsidiary of state owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, has been faced with obstacles in handling its geothermal projects in Lumut Balai, South Sumatra and Karaha Bodas, West Java as the Ministry of Forestry was late in issuing forest leasehold permit for the firm.
PGE's president director Abadi Purnomo said of a total of 83 protected forests in Lumut Balai, the firm has only received a leasehold permit over 29 hectares. Meanwhile, the company has only been awarded by the ministry with a principle permit to use protected forests in Karaha Bodas which have a total size of 43 hectares.
"This is the challange and problem faced by PGE in developing geothermal (resources)," he said in a presentation during the Indo Geothermal 2011 seminar in Jakarta.
The firm plans to build a 110 MW geothermal power plant in Lumut Balai and a 30 MW power plant in Karaha Bodas. (Godang)