Ministry confident of meeting 2017 geothermal capacity target
Tuesday, October 10 2017 - 02:22 AM WIB
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is confident of meeting this year?s target of 1,858.5 MW of geothermal power plant capacity as new power plants are set to be completed soon.
Director of Geothermal at the ministry, Yunus Saefulhak said as quoted by a ministry statement on Monday that as per October of this year, geothermal power plant capacity has reached 1,808.5 MW. ?The target by the end of this year is 1,858.5 MW. We?re optimistic to achieve the target,? he said at a seminar on the country?s geothermal potential.
He said that additional capacities this year come from a number geothermal power plant (PLTP) projects including PLTP Ulubelu Unit 4 (55 MW), PLTP Karaha Unit 1 (30 MW), PLTP Sorik Marapi (Modular, 20 MW), and PLTP Sarula Unit 2 (110 MW).
Indonesia holds geothermal reserves of 17,506 MW, but geothermal power plant capacity currently stands at only 1,808.5 MW, or a mere 10.3 percent of total reserves.
?Currently there are five challenges in the development of the geothermal sector including location of the geothermal reserves in forest areas, opposition by the local people, tariff, funding and permitting,? Yunus said, adding that the government continues efforts to resolve the challenges.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak