PLTP Lahendong unit 5 begins operation, unit 6 soon

PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE), a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, started operating the unit 5 of the PLTP Lahendong geothermal power plant in North Sulawesi in the middle of September, and plans to start operating the unit 6 later this year, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Tuesday.

The paper quoted Salvius Patangke, General Manager of PGE Lahendong area, as saying that the PLTP Lahendong unit 1-4 have supplied a combined 80 MW of electricity in North Sulawesi, and the operation of the unit 5 increases the total supply to 100 MW.

He added that the total supply will further increase to 120 MW at the end of this year when the unit 6 starts operation.

Salvius said that PGE plans to develop the unit 7 and unit 8 in the future, but it will require the company to carry out the drilling of three new geothermal wells for unit 7 and four new wells for unit 8.

But Edy Sudarmadi, Technical Manager at PLTP Lahendong, said that the planned drilling programs have been hit by uncertainty amid the government?s plan for state-owned electricity firm PT PLN to acquire PGN. (*)