Indonesia issues new geothermal management permits
Taman Hutan Raya Bung Hatta, Solok, West Sumatra, Indonesia (source: flickr/ Daniel Wilder, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas
21 Aug 2015
In an effort to speed up geothermal development, the Indonesian government licenses 15 domestic and foreign investors management permits.
According to ANTARA News, the Indonesian government has licensed 15 domestic and foreign investors to manage geothermal resources in the country as part of efforts to develop power plants with a combined capacity of 35 thousand megawatts.
“After the licenses have been issued, the energy and mineral resources minister must check that they are making use of the licenses. Dont let it (the project) come to a standstill after the licenses have been issued,” President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on the sidelines of the 4th Indonesia IBTKE-Conex and the 3rd Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition 2015 here on Wednesday.
The president said geothermal resources had the potential to generate 29 thousand megawatts of electricity. If all the investors realized their licenses, they could produce 1,515 megawatts.
He said the government would also provide improved services to investors who had invested in new and renewable energy.
While fossil-based energy deposits including oil and gas continue to deplete, Indonesia, which is endowed with abundant geothermal resources, must boost the use of new and renewable energy, he said.
“We are focusing on developing new and renewable energy now that the consumption of fossil-based energy, including oil and gas, in Indonesia has seen an annual increase of 7 percent. Hopefully, new and renewable energy will act as a buffer for fossil-based energy, whose deposits continue to deplete,” he said.
Source: Antara News
