Government plans tender for 8 geothermal areas this year

By Brigida Ernestina Elu Wea

The government will hold tender for eight geothermal working areas this year which have potential to produce a combined 510 MW of electricity, according to Director General of New and Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Rida Mulyana.

Rida said on Monday that the eight geothermal working areas (or WKPs) include Simbolon Samosir WKP in North Sumatra which has a potential to develop a 2x55 MW power plant, Gunung Galunggun WKP in West Java (110 MW), Telaga Ranu WKP in North Maluku (2x5 MW), Gunung Hamiding WKP in North Maluku (2x10 MW), Gunung Wilis WKP in East Java (2x10 MW), Tanjung Sakti WKP (20 MW), and Kepayang WKP (110 MW), both in Bengkulu.

?We hope that the tender can be held in the second quarter of this year. The process is ongoing and we hope it can progress as scheduled,? he said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak