Three companies apply for forestry permits for four geothermal projects

The Forestry Ministry has received four applications from three companies for forest-use permits on protected and conserved forest areas to be affected by the companies' geothermal exploration and production plan, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Tuesday.

Muhamad Said, the director of forest use at the directorate general of forest planology at the ministry, said in Jakarta on Monday that the four applications came from Pertamina Geothermal Energy, Supreme Energy Rajabasa and PT Gili Indah Sejahtera

?There are four applications which are now under processing. They apply for forest use permits in protected forests and conservation forests,? he said, adding that PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy applied for two permits for exploration of geothermal in North Sumatra and Bengkulu covering areas of 97.5 hectares, while Gili applied for a permit for exploration on a 22,04 hectare forest area in Central Java. ?The four applications include the one submitted by PT Supreme Energy Rajabasa in Lampung which is now being processed,? Said said.

According to the forestry ministry?s regulation No. P.18/ forestry minister-II/2011 juncto No. P. 14/ forestry minister-II/2013, the processing of the forest use permits should be completed in 215 days.

As of July this year, the ministry has issued permits for geothermal survey and exploration covering 2,444 hectares located in West Java, Central Java, South Sumatra and North Sumatra. The number of companies which have secured forest-use permits has reached eight, covering total areas 486.86 hectares, mostly in West Java. They include two units owned by Pertamina Geothermal Energy in Karaha Bodas and Kamojang, one unit owned by Chevron Geothermal Indonesia in Bogor and Sukabumi and a unit owned by Geo Dipa Energy in Patuha, Bandung regency. (*)