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Support for geothermal projects open to govt abuse: Activists
Environmental activists are wary that their support for building geothermal plants in protected forests will be an excuse for the government to allow companies to operate mines in the areas
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nvironmental activists are wary that their support for building geothermal plants in protected forests will be an excuse for the government to allow companies to operate mines in the areas.
The concerns were raised following the passing of new regulation allowing underground mining in protected forests. Activists say geothermal plants pose different environmental impacts from mining and that the government should draw a clear distinction.
WWF Indonesia climate policy coordinator Ari Muhammad said allowing mining in protected areas would only accelerate already high levels of deforestation in Indonesia, which runs counter to the government’s pledge to voluntarily reduce emissions to combat climate change.
“We support the development of geothermal energy as an alternative energy source, but our support doesn’t extend to issuing permits to exploit mineral resources in protected forests,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The government pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2020, 14 percent of which would come from the forest sector.
To meet the 14 percent target, the Forestry Ministry vowed to slow down deforestation, which currently stands at 1.08 million hectares lost per year, and combat widespread illegal logging.
Data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry showed 265 geothermal deposits across the country had a potential energy yield of 28,100 megawatts.
It estimated that 70 percent of the country’s geothermal deposits were located in protected and conservation areas.
The 1999 Forestry Law prohibits mining in both protected and conservation areas.
Last week, the government issued a regulation paving the way for underground mining in protected and production forests following protracted debate.
Geothermal energy has been a key topic in alternative energy, with climate change experts pointing out the massive dependence on fossil fuels as the main source of carbon emissions.
The National Energy Policy stipulates that energy from geothermal sources should reach 9,500 megawatts by 2025.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said eight geothermal energy sites had been discovered so far in West Papua, Maluku and West Sulawesi.
The head of the ministry’s geological agency, Suchyar, said that by 2014, the country would generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity from geothermal sources, equal to the energy from 2.4 billion barrels of oil.
The director of Institute Indonesia Hijau, Chalid Muhammad, warned that the development of geothermal projects should comply with environmental standards.
“Energy from geothermal heat is far more environmentally friendly than nuclear or coal but the huge development needed also has negative impacts, including on human conflict,” he said.
Chalid said the government should stop providing new licenses to mine, including in protected forests as the 10,000 licenses already issued was excessive.
Chalid voiced suspicion that the policy to allow mining in protected areas was a first step toward massive conversion of forests for other uses.
Greenpeace Indonesia climate and energy campaigner Nur Hidayati, who supports geothermal projects, urged the government to drop regulations on mining in protected forests if it was serious about meeting its emission cut target.
“The government has double standards. They promised to reduce emissions to tackle climate change but on the other hand, they issue policies accelerating forest destruction,” she said.
