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Pertamina Geothermal to bring additional 105 MW online 2016

Pertamina Geothermal to bring additional 105 MW online 2016 Lahedong Geothermal Power Plant in Indonesia (source: ADB, Courtesy of CPI)
Alexander Richter 2 Mar 2016

Pertamina Geothermal expects three units at Ulubelu, Lahendong and Karaha Bodas to come online later this year, adding a combined power generation capacity of 105 MW.

In a report from Indonesia, PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) has announced that it will start the operation of three new units at geothermal power plants, with a total installed capacity of 105 MW this year. The new three units are being installed at existing geothermal power plants of Pertamina, and include the following units: Ulubelu, Lampung with a capacity of 55 MW; unit 5 PLTP Lahendong, North Sulawesi with a capacity of 20 MW; and Unit 1 Karaha Bodas, West Java with a capacity of 30 MW.

In a statement Wianda Pusponegoro, Vice President Corporate Communications at Pertamina, said the company is working on the units already. Unit 3 PLTP Ulubelu has reached 87.68 percent of capacity. While Lahendong Unit 5 has reached 38.5 percent capacity and Unit 1 Karaha Bodas reached 26.59 percent. Three production wells are being drilled by PT Pertamina Drilling Services Indonesia (PDSI), a subsidiary of Pertamina.

“The expected COD (Commercial of Date) for unit 3 PLTP Ulubelu is August 2016, while unit 5 Lahendong PLTP and PLTP Karaha Boda unit 1 are December 2016,” said Wianda this week in Jakarta.

With the addition of three units of the power plant, the total installed capacity of geothermal power plants owned by Pertamina will reach 597 MW consisting of 235 MW of installed capacity at the geothermal power plants of Kamojang, Lahendong 100 MW,  Ulubelu 165 MW, Sibayak 12 MW and at Lumut Balai 55 MW.

Throughout 2015-2019 the company will build additional geothermal power plants, to reach a total capacity of 907 MW with an investment of approximately US $ 2.5 billion. The Company has put its geothermal business as one of the priority strategic projects in accordance with Indonesia’s geothermal development blue-print until 2019.

“While at the moment a lot of other investors are not moving due to various constraints experienced, we continue to invest in the geothermal sector,” he said.

Saefulhak Yunus, Director of the Directorate Panbumi Jendreral Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation of the Ministry of Energy, acknowledged that PGE is the only company that is aggressive in the development of geothermal energy in Indonesia. This is evident from the company’s commitment to conduct exploration and drilling activities in several areas of work such as Lahendong, Ulubelu, Hululais, Lumut Balai, and Full River.

Yunus said, according to Law No. 21 of 2014, the government now allows assigning work on geothermal areas to state enterprises without auction.

“This is a breakthrough for the development of geothermal energy in Indonesia so that Pertamina will be given permission to conduct exploration activities in several assigned work areas. This way lenders, investor or partner can directly cooperate with state-owned-enterprises up- and downstream.

Abadi Purnomo, chairman of the Indonesian Geothermal Association, said the company has been engaged in the geothermal business for more than 30 years. The company has the human resources, financial and technological capabilities upstream to downstream.

“I expect PGE to contribute at least 2,000 MW of geothermal working areas controlled. PGE should be a privilege in some areas will be tendered, “he said.

Suryadarma, Chairman of the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society, assessed PGE in terms of geothermal development, seeing it as the only national company that has shown consistent development of geothermal energy in Indonesia.

Pertamina, helps development in Indonesia by taking over projects constrained and trying to encourage good geothermal activities carried out either by Pertamina alone or through cooperation with other parties through joint operation contracts (KOB).

 

Source: Tribun Bisnis