Kalimantan Ready to be a National Energy Granary

Tempo Interactive, Friday, 04 December, 2009 | 16:09 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Palangkaraya:Central Kalimantan Governor Teras Narang has said he will build a 2x100 megawatt power plant with the abundant coal in his area. Several investors from Russia and India, he said, are ready to invest in Central Kalimantan.

“In the future, we are certain that we are capable to be a national energy granary, especially for Java island,” said Teras during Indonesia’s Provincial Government Association National Working Meeting at the Central Kalimantan Governor office, on Wednesday night.

By becoming a national energy granary, he said, they wouldn’t have to export Kalimantan coal to Java anymore.

The shipping cost is very expensive.

He deemed this way to be more efficient and effective, so much so that people would not have to bear the high payment charge and the government subsidy could be reduced.

Previously, at the same event, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked 33 governors from all Indonesia to make some sort of electricity master plan in Indonesia. “Let’s sit together to discuss these electricity problems. Let’s count together the needs of each province so we might know the national need,” he said.

Yudhoyono instructed immediately a limited meeting with governors from all Indonesia to discuss Indonesian electric crises. “I hope, by the end of this Palangkaraya meeting, there will be some sort of electricity master plan in Indonesia,” he said.

In Denpasar, Bali, Minister of Energy and Mineral Ressources Darwin Saleh Zahedi reaffirmed his plan to make geothermal energy as the main source of power.

“The government will reduce other energy use, like oil, to 30%,” he said.

According to Darwin, there is a geothermal energy potential and there are funding sources to exploit it.

“There are offers, we just have to formulate the scheme and treatment to persuade private companies,” he said.

According to National Energy Council member, Herman Darnel Ibrahim, the geothermal energy potential is about 28,000 megawatts at present. But only 1,189 have been exploited while 2,300 megawatts are being explored.

There is geothermal energy potential in Indonesia at around 265 locations, like Dieng, Patuha, Wayang Windu and Kemojang.

In Bali, geothermal energy is being developed in Bedugul where the production potential is 200 megawatts.

But the exploitation contract is only 75 megawatts.

According to Herman, there are investment opportunities for geothermal energy in Japan, Germany, USA. Australia, New Zealand and Iceland. “Those countries have a big geothermal energy potential.”

Karana WW | NI LUH ARIE SL