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East Java plans to easen geothermal development in East Java

Alexander Richter 16 Feb 2010

The East Java government is planning to optimize geothermal development activities for the 11 potential geothermal sites in East Java.

In news from Indonesia, it is said that “the East Java Investment Agency (BPM) is optimizing the geothermal energy rate in the province, in line with its renewable natural resource potential.

“This year we will try to utilize the geothermal energy content as a priority of the East Java BPM project,” Head of the E Java BPM office Tutut Tri Herawati said here Monday.

The former Head of the East Java Energy and Mineral Resources Agency said that the province has 11 geothermal energy potential locations which could be optimized, of seven mountain ranges of the province.

“For instance in Pacitan, Ponorogo, Madiun, Mojokerto, Probolinggo, Sumenep, Banyuwangi, Bondowoso, and Situbondo,” she added.

She believed that the government efforts of exploiting the energy potentials had been very low. Besides East Java, geothermal energy spots were also present in various other places in the country, two of which would soon be given a concession permit of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources,” she added.

Giving an example she said the area is located in the Arjuno-Welirang region in Mojokerto which had been estimated to hold energy reserves of 92 Megawatt Electric (MwE) .

“We believe that this year we would be able to start holding a tender for developing the potentials,” she said.

“The issuance of the location permit for the Arjuno-Welirang area is the second project after the issuance of the permit for Ngebel-Wilis area in the Madiun-Ponorogo border region,” she added.

Besides, the Ngebel-Wilis project had already been put in tender.

“If the Ngebel-Wilis energy content may have a greater potential reaching more than 120 MwE compared to the Arjuno-Welirang area,” she said.

She is also optimistic that the geothermal energy explorations would be the best solution in anticipating energy limitations.

“And mey even support the increase in the development of geothermal energy development in Indonesia which is still low,” she said.

According to data of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, geothermal energy development in Indonesia reached 1,000 MwE, this is cause for concern, considering Indonesia`s position as the biggest geothermal energy reserve in the world.”

Source: Antara News