Jakarta – PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Tbk (PGE) has started drilling its second well for the development of the 55-megawatt (MW) Lumut Balai Unit 3 geothermal power plant in South Sumatra, the company said on Friday, September 25.
The LMB-19.4 well follows the drilling of the first exploration well, LMB-19.3, which began in July. Drilling of the second well is expected to take about 40 days, PGE said.
The Lumut Balai Unit 3 project, located in the Lumut Balai geothermal working area, is targeted to reach commercial operation in 2030. It will add to Units 1 and 2, each with a capacity of 55 MW, which began operating in late 2019 and June 2025, respectively.
PGE President Director Ahmad Yani said the project would support rising electricity demand in South Sumatra and contribute to the company’s target of reaching 1 gigawatt (GW) of installed geothermal capacity by 2028 and 1.8 GW by 2034.
The project is listed as a strategic project in the 2025–2029 Blue Book and Green Book of Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas).
PGE said it has identified up to 3 GW of geothermal potential across 10 working areas that it manages independently, providing a basis for its longer-term expansion. (nsh)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2024)
