Indonesian geothermal sector addressing safety issues in development
Construction starting at Sokoria project, Indonesia (source: KS Orka)
Alexander Richter
12 Jan 2019
To address safety issues in geothermal development activities, Indonesian developers recently met to discuss guidelines insuring safety of personnel on site of the projects.
Geothermal business in addition to requiring very large investment and high technology, is also a high risk activity. Related to this, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, through the Geothermal Directorate, held a technical meeting with a number of Heads of Geothermal Engineering (KTPB) and Implementation of Preliminary and Exploration Survey (PSPE) assignments, in Jakarta, late last year.
The meeting which was attended by all KPTB and the implementers of the PSPE was aimed at equating perceptions related to aspects of Geothermal Safety and Occupational Health and Safety, given the high risk of geothermal exploitation.
“I hope that the KTPB and PSPE Implementers will increase their awareness of the application of HSE aspects. Accident statistics that occur in geothermal exploitation show that most of the accidents are experienced by contractors / subcontractors, therefore KTPB and PSPE implementers should further improve the supervision of the compliance of all contractors / subcontractors in carrying out regulations and provisions on geothermal K3LL, “said the Director Geothermal Ida Nuryatin Finahari, who is also the Head of Geothermal Inspector (KAIP) when opening the meeting.
At the meeting, the signing of the Minutes of Agreement between KAIP, KTPB, and the Implementing PSPE which contained:
- Criteria for geothermal accidents;
- Categories of injuries due to accidents or dangerous events;
- Elimination of mine road assignments;
- Control of hazards to workers who work in extreme conditions.
The agreement will be a guideline for KTPB and the implementers of the PSPE especially in the implementation of critical geothermal activities.
In addition, during this meeting, there was a sharing session which presented Supreme Energy’s KTPB Deputy Muara Laboh on the topic of Management of Social Issues at the Muaralaboh Geothermal Power Plant Project and the Geothermal Merapi Merapi KTPB on the topic of a recent Fatality Accident at Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power Plant Project. Through this sharing session, it is expected that KTPB and PSPE implementers will get important learning to be applied in their respective regions.
The technical meeting held provides many benefits such as equalizing perceptions, learning, agreement on implementation guidelines, communication media, etc. so that in the future this technical meeting is planned to be held regularly every quarter.
Source: PaBum News
