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Indonesia unlikely to achieve energy security

The question is simple, how can new ideas be accepted in Indonesia if regulators and engineers do not adopt new ideas, and instead say they have not been proven in Indonesia?

George Barber (The Jakarta Post)
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Jakarta
Wed, October 11, 2017

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Indonesia unlikely to achieve energy security Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan (center) observes the site of PLTU Java 4 in Tubanan Village, Jepara, Central Java, on Aug. 31. (JP/dea)

T

wo headlines have caught my eye recently, the title of this opinion piece and “Burn it up, RI’s energy consumption insatiable.”

Let us deal with the main headline first, why should this statement surprise anyone? What is surprising is that someone has not made this statement before, although it is better said now than closer to the deadline, which is very often the case.

Many of us know this target cannot not be met. Although it has recently been stated that Indonesia will surpass the Philippines to become the world’s secondlargest geothermal energy user in the world, with a consumption of 2,023.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2018, we seem to forget that for Indonesia to reach this status the projects needed require many years to develop.

According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Ignasius Jonan, it takes seven years for the exploration and construction of a geothermal power plant before it begins commercial operations. Where achievements have been made, they are a very small fraction of what is possible.

Many people seem to think that a surface manifestation is a sign of geothermal potential, but that is all it is, potential. What about the unseen potentials, known as hidden potentials? They are there, but they will not be found unless new ideas for exploration are adopted.

By having a complete knowledge of the “Ring of Energy,” which is what the Ring of Fire is, Indonesia could achieve the geothermal development 2025 target by 2030, as well as attract both local and international investment, as the cost, time and risk would be dramatically reduced.

Many studies have been carried out on the geothermal potential of Indonesia, but very few provide detailed exploration data. There is a roadmap project called “Geothermal Island Flores” that is run in cooperation with the British government through FCO-UK at the British Embassy. It is intended to make Flores a geothermal showcase for Indonesia.

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