Jakarta – By the end of 2024, the contribution of geothermal energy is projected to be able to support up to 40 per cent of the total renewable energy mix, in line with the increased operations of a number of geothermal power plant (PLTP) projects, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR). The government places geothermal energy as one of the main pillars in achieving the new renewable energy mix target.
Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eniya Listiyani Dewi, expressed the government’s optimism in encouraging the utilisation of geothermal as a clean and reliable energy source.
“Currently, the contribution of NRE (new and renewable energy) in the national energy mix is already at 13.9 per cent. With several PLTPs that will be fully operational by the end of this year, we expect the EBT mix to reach 14.1 per cent,” Eniya said at the Global Hydrogen Ecosystem Summit and Exhibition (GHES) 2025, Tuesday, December 17.
A number of PLTP projects are driving the increase in the NRE mix. One of them is the Sorik Merapi PLTP, with a capacity of 41 MW, which pocketed the Certificate of Operation (SLO) on December 15. In addition, the Salak Binari PLTP, with a capacity of 15 MW, and the Ijen PLTP, with a capacity of 45 MW, are scheduled to operate commercially shortly.
“We have 362 geothermal potential points with a total capacity of 23.6 GW. This is a big opportunity. In addition, there are 62 Geothermal Working Areas (WKP) that are ready to be developed and 12 assignment areas for exploration that are still active,” Eniya explained, adding that only around 11 per cent of the total geothermal potential has been utilised.
In a global context, Indonesia is listed as the second largest producer of geothermal electricity globally, with an installed capacity of 2.6 GW. At the national level, its contribution is around 5.3 per cent of the national energy mix.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia also voiced his commitment to maximising geothermal energy use. According to him, geothermal power plants have a higher level of reliability than other energy sources. “We will continue to encourage investment in the geothermal sector while ensuring infrastructure and regulations support the acceleration of development,” Bahlil said on a separate occasion. According to him, since 2014, the installed capacity of geothermal power plants in Indonesia has increased by 1.2 GW. (Hartatik)
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