4 Times Natural Gas Leakage, Commission VII Suggests PLTP Sorik Marapi To Be Closed

Lustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission VII DPR RI Maman Abdurrahman criticized the performance of the management of PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power (SMGP) regarding the gas leaks from the Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) which had occurred four times.

"As for the language in my village, only a donkey goes into the same hole twice. If 3 to 4 times what animal is it?" said Maman in a Hearing Meeting of Commission VII DPR RI with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) and Directors of PT Sorik Marapi, Monday 23 May.

Maman assessed that the repeated gas leaks had implications for the destruction of the investment climate in the geothermal sector.

He also criticized the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources which was considered unable to carry out its supervisory duties properly so that gas leaks were repeated.

"The first two incidents are still on the surface, then pipe leaks and so on. This shows that Sorik Marapi's management is very weak," said Maman.

For this reason, Maman suggested to close pipe drilling activities at SMGP until PT SMGP's management improves.

Not only that, he said he would make a working committee (panja) to investigate the incident.

Maman suspected that there were operational and management errors in carrying out drilling activities.

"Don't let your careless management push all costs down. We understand that we need to pursue the economy so that aspects of health, safety and environment are ignored," said Maman.

As is known, the incident of gas pipe leakage at the Sorik Marapi PLTP is not the first time this has occurred.

On January 25, 2021, the construction of a Geothermal Power Plant (PLTPB) power plant took a toll. A total of five people died allegedly due to inhaling hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas.

Four months later, on May 14, 2021, a fire occurred in the company's work area. The location of the fire is only 300 meters from the settlement.

This incident was then repeated on March 6, 2022. A total of 58 residents of Sibangor Jalu Village complained of health problems due to the incident of exposure to H2S gas at the AAE-05 well location. Luckily there were no casualties in the incident.

Finally, on Sunday 24 April, dozens of residents in Sibanggor Julu Village, Puncak Sorik Marapi District, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra, were poisoned by Hydrogen Sulfide gas or H2S.