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PLN urged to expand geothermal power plant development in Indonesia

PLN urged to expand geothermal power plant development in Indonesia Lumut Balai geothermal plant, Indonesia (source: WIKA)
Carlo Cariaga 9 Aug 2019

After Jakarta was hit by a major power blackout, PT Geo Dipa Director Riki Ibrahim has urged PT PLN to support the expansion of Indonesia's geothermal power generation.

With recent news of a power outage seeing demand for alternative power sources, as reported by VOA News,  Director of PT Geo Dipa Energi Riki Ibrahim highlighted how geothermal power plants can very easily provide backup power should gas-fired power plants fail. Considering its reliability and low carbon emission, Riki has urged PT PLN (Persero) support the development of more geothermal power plants in Indonesia.

“When a power plant has a problem, it takes some time for it to heat up before it can supply to the grid.” explained Riki. “Geothermal power plants can provide a more reliable base load, so why doesn’t PLN build more of them?” Riki Ibrahim expressed these sentiments at a recent Ministry of Finance meeting in Jakarta.

The cause of the major blackout on August 4 is already being investigated by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). “The purpose of the investigation is not to find who is at fault, but to come up with measures to prevent the incident from happening again,” said ESDM Director General Rida Mulyana.

Source: Porto News