Indonesia Has A Potential Geothermal 24 GW, Pertamina Disseminates Preparedness For Green Electricity Development In COP 27 Egypt

Actor Vice President Research Technology and Innovation Pertamina Oki Muraza in COP-27, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. (Photo: Doc. Pertamina)

JAKARTA - PT Pertamina (Persero) is trying to become a world-class green electricity producer based on geothermal power. One way is to develop technological innovations to increase the use of geothermal.

"There is an opportunity, because there is still less than ten percent of Indonesia's total potential," said Pertamina Senior Vice President Research and Innovation Oki Muraza, in his presentation at COP-27, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, quoted Thursday, November 10.

He added that Indonesia has the potential for almost 24 geothermal GWs, while only less than 10 percent of these potentials have just been utilized. So there is still a great opportunity to further increase the capacity to use geothermal in producing green electricity.

In addition to increasing the mix of renewable energy in the proportion of Indonesia's national electrical energy, efforts to increase geothermal-based electricity capacity also support Indonesia's target to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.

"Pertamina's research activities and development of technological innovations to utilize geothermal use include exploration, development, operations and digitization," continued Oki.

Currently, continued Oki, Pertamina is developing better technology in the field of exploration, can provide comprehensive studies of geoscience and develop new methods that allow it to be applied in the geothermal industry.

"This is something that has been done for years so we technologically master it starting from exploration, development, production, drilling, and so on," said Oki.

Pertamina will also increase the geothermal capacity from 672 MW in 2020 to 1,128 MW in 2026.

Pertamina strives to have the best operational advantages in the upstream sector, integration in developing new areas and expanding product value chains from geothermal energy such as green energy products in the form of green methanol, green hydrogen, nano-silica, green liquid CO2, carbon credit and support in the development of green industrial clusters in the country.

"We hope to accelerate the development of new areas, where currently the development of new areas can be used not only for electricity but we are starting to think of locations that may be developed for green hydrogen," he said.

Oki said Pertamina opens opportunities for cooperation with players in the geothermal sector in Indonesia and energy efficiency to implement technological solutions developed. That way, more geothermal power plants and other products from geothermal and optimize the use of geothermal potential in the country.