45 MW Sorik Marapi Unit 2 geothermal plant starts operation
Unit 1 of Sorik Marapi geothermal plant, North Sumatra, Indonesia (source: KS Orka Renewables)
Alexander Richter
3 Aug 2021
KS Orka Renewables has started commercial operations of the 45 MW Sorik Marapi Unit 2 geothermal power plant in North Sumatra bringing total capacity of Indonesia to 2,178 MW.
The Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) Unit 2 with an installed capacity of 45 MW has started commercial operations after completing the Unit Rated Capacity (URC) Test late last month. The power plant, which is located in Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra, has successfully completed the construction of the project until it is ready to operate in about 18 months.
“We should give appreciation to PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power (SMGP) as a PLTP developer, which has shown good faith, improved performance and its efforts to continue to ensure that the construction of the power plant meets the COD target that has been previously set in the RUPTL,” said the Director General of New Energy. , Renewable and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) Dadan Kusdiana at the inauguration PLTP Sorik Marapi Unit 2.
Unit 1 of the Sorik Marapi geothermal plant went online in 2019, as we reported. Further details can also be found in this article by EBTKE from 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic affected the mobilization and duration of the implementation of various activities in the field, so the Commercial Operation Date/COD of PLTP unit 2 was delayed from the original target planned in December 2020. The delay also occurred due to the suspension by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as consequences of an unintended fatality event.
“Of course in the implementation of exploitation activities conducted by PT SMGP, must consider the aspects related to the fulfillment of its obligations as a permit holder geothermal among other aspects of Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Protection (K3LL) and still meet the technical norms of good or good and engineering practice”, said Dadan.
With the operation of PLTP Unit 2, it is hoped that production will increase from 28 million kWh of electricity per month to 50 million kWh per month, increasing contributions in the form of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) and production bonuses. In 2020, PLTP electricity production Sorik Marapi reached 334 million kWh, which means that with the electricity buying and selling rate of 8.1 cents dollar/kWh and with the BPP of North Sumatra Province of 10.18 cents/kWh.
From that price, there are savings of approximately Rp. 100 billion for PLN The price for buying and selling electricity from the Sorik Marapi PLTP proves that the price of electricity from geothermal is also competitive with other EBT generator rates, which are below $o.10 per kWh on average.
With the addition of the second unit of the Sorik Marapi geothermal plant, the total installed geothermal power generation capacity of 2,178 MW.
Source: Republika
