Indonesia cuts geothermal target to additional 2,395 MW

Pathua geothermal power plant, Bandung/ Indonesia (source: Toshiba)

The government continues to boost the development of new and renewable energy (EBT). In the preparation of PLN’s General Plan for the Provision of Electricity (RUPTL) for the period 2021-2030, the composition of power plants to be built over the next decade for NRE will reach 48%.

But unfortunately, the target for increasing the capacity of geothermal power plants aka PLTP in the RUPTL this time, the number has actually decreased, so KataData in reporting today. In the draft RUPTL 2021-2030 presented by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the additional capacity of PLTP is targeted to only reach 2,395 MW.

Details of the addition of PLTP capacity in 2021 by 136 MW and by 2022 an increase of 108 MW, in 2023 an increase of 190 MW, in 2024 an increase of 131 MW. Then in 2025 it will increase by 676 MW, in 2026 it will increase by 235 MW, in 2027 by 233 MW, in 2028 by 370 MW, in 2029 by 314 MW and in 2030 by 3 MW.

Initially the government target was 4,500 MW in 2030, and before that actually at 7,000 MW.  There has though been a general consensus that these large numbers were somewhat unrealistic, particularly in the timeframe given … yet this cut now is also not encouraging as it likely could mean a decrease the commitment to the support schemes for geothermal. One though surely hopes it will not effect things.

Meanwhile, in the 2019-2028 RUPTL which is still valid at this time, the number is larger. It is noted that the additional PLTP capacity in the RUPTL is planned to reach 4,607 MW. With details in 2019 of 190 MW, 2020 of 151 MW, 2021 of 147 MW, 2022 of 455 MW, 2023 of 245 MW. Then in 2024 it will be 415 MW, 2025 it will be 2,759 MW, 2026 will be 45 MW, 2027 will be 145 MW, and 2028 will increase by 55 MW.

Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Dadan Kusdiana said that discussions on the 2021-2030 RUPTL draft were not final. However, the number of additional geothermal power plants has been determined. “Now the figures are not final, but the additional capacity is set at 2,400 MW,” he told Katadata.co.id , Monday (21/6).

Source: KataData