Government plans $270m investment to restore Sarulla geothermal output
Monday, August 3 2026 - 10:37 AM WIB
By Romel S. Gurky
The government plans to invest about US$270 million to restore the output of the Sarulla geothermal power plant (PLTP) in North Sumatra to its installed capacity of 330 megawatts (MW) while laying the groundwork to develop the field's estimated 1,100 MW geothermal potential.
Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot said the government aims to complete the project's administrative process by October 2026, with production recovery targeted for 2027 to 2028.
"First, we will complete the administrative process by October 2026. Once that is completed, we will pursue increased production capacity in 2027 and 2028," Yuliot said after visiting the Sarulla geothermal facility on Friday.
He said the additional investment is intended to restore the plant's generating capacity to its installed 330 MW.
The Sarulla geothermal field currently generates around 220 MW, below its installed capacity, due to changes in steam reservoir pressure that require ongoing reservoir management.
The government and the plant operator have agreed on measures to complete the required administrative process and prepare the investment program to restore production. Once the existing capacity has been fully recovered, further investment is planned to progressively develop the field's remaining geothermal resources.
Located in Pahae Julu and Pahae Jae districts of North Tapanuli, North Sumatra, the Sarulla geothermal power plant is operated by Sarulla Operations Ltd. (SOL), a consortium comprising Medco Power Indonesia, Kyushu Electric Power, Inpex Corp., Ormat Technologies Inc., and Itochu Corp. The consortium developed and operates the integrated geothermal project under a long-term joint operating arrangement.
The facility consists of three 110 MW generating units. The Silangkitang unit began commercial operations in March 2017, followed by Namora-I-Langit 1 in October 2017 and Namora-I-Langit 2 in May 2018.
With an estimated geothermal resource potential of 1,100 MW, Sarulla is one of the country's largest geothermal assets and a key candidate for future renewable energy expansion.
Editing by Alexander Ginting