PLN to develop 6,200 MW geothermal plants

Petromindo

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has launched a program to develop a combined 6,200 MW of geothermal power plants in the country until 2025 as part of the target to develop a total of 22,000 MW of renewable-based power plants.

PLN said in a statement on Thursday that the geothermal and renewable-based power plant development program forms part of efforts to increase electrification ratio in the country and to help realize the government?s target for renewables to account for 23 percent of the country?s energy mix by 2025.

PLN said that it currently operates a combined 600 MW of geothermal power plants, or 40 percent of the country?s total installed geothermal power plants of 1,500 MW.

Specifically in North Sulawesi, PLN has been operating the unit 1-4 of the Lahendong geothermal power plant with total capacity of 80 MW, producing 520 GWh of electricity per year in the North Sulawesi and Gorontalo region. Electricity supply from geothermal plants in the region will further increase in line with PLN?s plan to purchase electricity from the unit 5 and 6 of Lahendong geothermal power plant with capacity of 2x20 MW.

In the Sulawesi region, PLN plans to build new geothermal power plants with combined capacity of 140 MW including PLTP Kotamabagu 80 MW, PLTP Marana 20 MW and Bora Pulu 40 MW.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak