Jakarta – The governments of Indonesia and New Zealand have agreed to extend cooperation for geothermal development that has been running since the 1970s. The New Zealand Government is committed to pouring grants into a cooperation programme called the “Indonesia-Aoteroa New Zealand Geothermal Energy Programme (PINZ)” for the period 2023-2028, worth NZD 15.64 million.
In his remarks, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Arifin Tasrif, expressed his appreciation to the New Zealand Government for the cooperation in geothermal development that has been established so far.
Indonesia is predicted to need 1,942 TWh of electricity by 2060. The challenge is to provide electricity from renewable energy sources that are affordable, reliable and sustainable.
“To increase the utilisation of clean energy, Indonesia will build around 700 GW of renewable energy power plants, considering that Indonesia has abundant renewable energy sources, reaching more than 3,600 GW,” Tasrif said.
According to him, New Zealand also has many resources and experts in developing geothermal projects, including direct utilisation and innovations in geothermal operations, such as green hydrogen production and Carbon Capture Storage (CCS).
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Nanaia Mahuta said that PINZ’s commitment is based on the achievements to date and will further expand Indonesia’s access to affordable, reliable and clean energy. She said New Zealand would strengthen its support for Indonesia’s geothermal energy sector through continued investment in the PINZ programme.
“This NZD 15.6 million commitment will help Indonesia achieve its renewable energy targets through the provision of technical assistance and capacity building in three key areas: regulatory framework, geothermal exploration, and workforce skills and technical capacity building,” Mahuta said.
The funding will be provided over five years and will build on the longstanding relationship between New Zealand and Indonesia in geothermal development. Geothermal cooperation between New Zealand and Indonesia began in the 1970sx and is part of the renewable energy cooperation that New Zealand and Indonesia committed to under the Comprehensive Partnership in 2018. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Aerial View of Wayang Windu Geothermal Power Plant, Bandung, Pangalengan West Java Indonesia (Akhmad Dody Firmansyah/shutterstock.com)
