Not Only For Electricity, PGEO Says Geothermal Heat Can Be Mineral Extraction

JAKARTA - Operations Director of PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Tbk (PGEO) Ahmad Yani revealed that geothermal potential is not only used to generate electricity but can also be used to extract rare minerals.

Yani said, so far the public assesses that geothermal is only used for power generation, but actually has indirect benefits such as for tourism potential to minerals.

"Actually, geothermal energy can be used in various ways, such as one direct use, utilization, we use geothermal energy directly, as we can use for the development of geoagricultural business, for example, for food drilling, then for geotourism, for example, hot water development, and all kinds like Blue Lagoon in Iceland," Yani said at Energy CORner, Tuesday, January 14.

Meanwhile, for the mineral extraction process, he said, geothermal can be directed in the extraction process such as silica, CO2 liquefaction for gas extraction, and rare minerals such as lithium.

Not only that, geothermal can also be used to produce green hydrogen or green hydrogen.

"Then of course we have the spirit of geothermal center of excellence, so how do we bring the technologies that we have developed beyond that we develop in Indonesia," Yani continued.

Furthermore, Yani said, until the end of 2024 PGEO had managed at least 672 MW of electricity from geothermal scattered in Indonesia.

For 2025 Yani, PGEO will increase the geothermal capacity of up to 55 MW which will be generated from the Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) of Balai Unit II, South Sumatra.

"God willing, this year there will be an increase of 55 MW from the Lumut Balai project," he said.