PLN may seek partners for geothermal projects
Thursday, August 3 2017 - 01:10 AM WIB
Petromindo|Dasir
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has assigned state-owned electricity firm PT PLN to develop three geothermal working areas (WKs) to produce electricity.
The three geothermal working areas include WK Atadei in East Nusa Tenggara with power generating capacity potential of 10 MW; WK Songa Wayaua in North Maluku with power generating potential of 10 MW; and WK Tangkuban Perahu in West Java with power generating potential of 60 MW.
Head of New and Renewable Energy Division at PLN, Tohari Hadiat said on Wednesday that the company initially asked for 14 geothermal working areas with combined potential capacity of up to 1,000 MW, but the ministry only allocated three WKs.
Tohari said that PLN may develop the three geothermal power plant projects on its own, or may also seek partners, which the company will decide later on. ?For now, we?ll focus first on exploration (of the WKs),? he said, adding that exploration work will take about two years, and construction of geothermal power plant another three years. (*)