Lahendong Unit-5&6 and Ulubelu Unit-3 inaugurated

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated on Tuesday the geothermal power plant (PLTP) Lahendong Unit-5 and Unit-6 in North Sulawesi, and the PLTP Ulubelu Unit-3 in Lampung.

During the inauguration ceremony in Tompaso, North Sulawesi, President was accompanied by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan.

The PLTP Lahendong Unit-5 and Unit-6 have a generation capacity of 2 x 20 MW, with a total investment of US$7 million per mega watt. With the Unit-1 until Unit-4 have been in operation before, the total generation capacity of Lahendong now is 120 MW. The PLTP has been used to supply power for 25,000 households in North Sulawesi.

The PLTP Ulubelu Unit-3 is located in Tanggamus regency of Lampung province. Its total ivestment is US$4.5 million per MW, which is cheaper than Lahendong.

Minister Jonan said that in the middle of next year (2017), PLTP Ulubelu Unit-4 will be inaugurated. ?We?ll continue to develop renewable energy sources from geothermal, water, wind and sea currents. Their prices are still relatively higher than oil and gas prices. But we?ll try to find solutions to make them cheaper and competitive with other alternatives,? he said.

The geothermal power plants managed to absorb about 4,800 local workers. PLTP Lahendong Unit-5 and 6 absorbed aabout 1,800 workers, while PLTP Ulubelu Unit-3 absorbed about 3,000 local workers. More power plants will be built next year so that more local workers will be absorbed.

Editing by Benget Besalicto ST.