Geothermal development at Mt Talang will support local community in West Sumatra
Lake Maninjau crater lake, West Sumatra, Indonesia (source: flickr/ Indrani Soemardjan, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
3 Dec 2018
The geothermal development planned by PT Hitay Daya Energi at Mount Talank-Bukitkili is supported by the provincial government of West Sumatra in Indonesia.
The Provincial Government of West Sumatra continues to support geothermal exploration by PT Hitay Daya Energi on Mount Talang-Bukitkili because it has many benefits to encourage the improvement of the welfare of the local community, so an article by Antara News today.
“There are many benefits for local communities with this exploration. Regions also get additional Regional Original Income (PAD). Therefore we continue to support,” Head of the West Sumatra Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office Heri Martinus said in Padang on Monday.
According to him, with a drilling capacity of up to 20 MWe and an investment of around $1 million, equivalent to Rp1 trillion, additional PAD for regions could reach billions of production bonuses. Not to mention the benefits directly received by the surrounding community through a CSR program, and it does not have to wait for production.
When the process begins, construction infrastructure activities can already be carried out, such as renovating mosques, schools and roads and bridges.
Assistance for educational activities such as scholarships will also be received by the surrounding community, as well as assistance for nagari social programs such as Ramadan safaris and home renovations.
In addition, there will be direct employment of non-skill and medium skills during construction and exploration.
The economic multiplayer effect on geothermal operations, for example the absorption of food for consumption of workers, can be a driver of the agricultural economy of the surrounding community, local contractor nagari or sub-district.
“A myriad of benefits are also not at stake. There is nothing at stake by the community because geothermal energy is a clean source of energy. Its use uses steam in the bowels of the earth and clean water. The generation will be injected back into the earth to maintain soil water content,” he said.
Community concerns about the disappearance of ground water until agricultural land is disrupted, according to him, will not occur.
According to him, the West Sumatra Provincial Government has invited geothermal experts from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the University of Indonesia (UI) to explain this.
Because of that, Heri could not understand why there were still those who rejected the eco-friendly exploration. “We hope that the Solok community, especially those who reject it, can open their minds, so that exploration can continue,” he said.
Previously the West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno said that regional development could not be done only by relying on the regional budget and the state budget assistance fund. Private sector investment and support is needed to help accelerate regional development.
Source: Antara News
