Indonesia eases development of geothermal in conservation areas

Indonesia eases development of geothermal in conservation areas

With new regulations put in place, Indonesia finalises legislation that
opens up conservation areas for geothermal development.

Today, the Indonesia Ministry of Environment and Forests (KLHK) has given a
"green light" to uses of geothermal energy or geothermal for new renewable
energy (EBT) in conservation area in "order to support energy security and
sovereignty of energy and to help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (
GRK).", as reported by Antara News.

"The land needed for geothermal in conservation areas is not as big as in
other potential uses and the overall potential fo geothermal is quite
substantial.", said Director of Environmental Services Utilization of Forest
Conservation (PJLHK) Is KLHK Mugiono

With the Act (Act) No. 21 of 2014 on Geothermal, Government Regulation (PP)
No. 108 of 2015 on Amendments to Regulation 28 of 2011 on the Management
Zone of Nature Reserve and Conservation Areas, and the Regulation of the
Minister of Environment and Forestry No. p.46 / Menlhk / Secretariat /
Kum.1 / 5/2016 concerning Geothermal Environment Services at the National
Park, Forest Parks and Wildlife Nature, regulation for geothermal
utilization in the conservation area to be complete.

Previously the use of geothermal energy in conservation areas was not
allowed based on the status of geothermal as a mining activity in Law No. 5
of 1990 on Conservation of Biological Resources and Ecosystem, which
prohibited development activities..

In a thorough review of the performance PROPER Geothermal Industry 2015-2016
period, only one of 14 projects were rated red. That, too, according to
Director General of Pollution Control and Environmental Degradation
Karliansyah, not because of operational processes, but because of the
maintenance of the wastewater permit.

"If you look at data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
(ESDM) has 4 percent of the geothermal potential is utilized for energy, but
environmentally friendly. So we naturally support its development," he said.

So far, according to him, the development and operation of geothermal plants
is not problematic for the environment. Only at the exploratory stage which
requires more precautionary principle.

With the data from the Ministry of Energy, the potential distribution of
interesting geothermal hot spots in the largest forest areas is shown at
145 points with a potential 12,176 MW, according to Nur.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/indonesia-eases-development-of-geothermal-in-c
onservation-areas/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com