The Mineral Resource and Energy Office of Jambi Province stated sub-districts of Kerinci and Merangin in Jambi Province have 400 mega watt potential sources of geothermal energy.
Head of Geology Department of the Office Karel Ibnu Suratno explained here on Sunday that the geothermal energy sources are located at the Lempur Block of Kerinci with 70MW potential and in the Kerinci Seblat National Park with 130 MW potential.
“There has been an exploration study conducted in the Kerinci Lempur Block. The geothermal energy source will be developed to produce electric energy by PT Pertamina Geothermal Energi (PGE),” Suratno said.
Meanwhile Jangkat Block of Merangin District has a 200 MW potential source of geothermal energy.
PT Energy Development Corporation has been granted a permit to conduct a study in the Jangkat Block.
“After that, there will be an auction for the exploration permit,” Suratno said.
Pursuant to Law No.23/2014, the authority over the Jambis geothermal energy source is in the hands of the central government.
Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable energy which comes from the heat of the Earth.
Resources of geothermal energy ranging from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock are found a few miles beneath the Earths surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma.
The Government is now focusing on the geothermal energy development as a renewable source of energy in the country.
President Widodo said fossil fueled energy would run out so renewable energy, including geothermal production should become the main energy source and it should be used as best as possible.
The Government has stated that Indonesia has a geothermal energy potential of at least 29 thousand MW in Sumatra, Java, and Papua.
“Indonesia has the potential for developing a new and renewable energy source. We believe that Indonesia can become a sovereign nation in terms of energy,” the President affirmed.
