$266m to be invested to restore full capacity of Sarulla geothermal power plant, Indonesia
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An investment of USD 266 million is being prepared to restore the Sarulla geothermal power plant complex in Indonesia to its full 330 MW operating capacity.
An investment of IDR 4.8 trillion (approx. USD 266.87 million) is being prepared to restore the full capacity of the Sarulla geothermal power plant in North Sumatra, Indonesia to its installed capacity of 330 MW. The facility is currently only operating at 220 MW due to changes in the steam pressure in the geothermal reservoir.
According to Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot, the government is currently completing the necessary administrative processes for the planned capacity restoration project. These are expected to be completed by October 2026. The actual work to increase production capacity will take place from 2027 to 2028.
The 330-MW Sarulla geothermal power complex comprises three units which came online in relatively quick succession within the 2017-2018 period. The first unit, Silangkitang (SIL), began operations in March 2017. The second, Namora-I-Langit 1 (NIL-1) came online in October 2017. Finally, the third unit, Namora-I-Langit 2 (NIL-2) completed the power complex in May 2018. The facility is operated by Sarulla Operations Ltd. (SOL), a consortium formed by PT Medco Power Indonesia, Itochu Corporation, Ormat Technologies, Kyushu Electric Power Company, and INPEX.
Further capacity expansion and direct use application
According to the statement by the MEMR, there are also plans to support the further utilization of the geothermal potential in Sarulla once the capacity has been restored to the optimal level. The field has a potential resource of up to 1100 MW based various MEMR and technical documents.
Moreover, the Regent of North Tapanuli, Dr. Jonius Taripar Parsaoran Hutabarat, stated that the Sarulla geothermal facilities could further contribute to the economic growth in the region by supplying heat to agricultural drying machines. This is particularly relevent in the Pahae area because of its large corn and coffee production industry. According to the Regent, utilizing geothermal heat can help farmers improve product quality, optimize downstream processes, and ultimately increase their incomes.
Source: CNBC Indonesia and Waspada.id