The geothermal drilling in Solok Selatan, West Sumatra, which will be utilized as power plant by PT Supreme Energy is scheduled for 2012.
“Under the contract, the geothermal drilling in Solok Selatan will be carried out in the first quarter of 2012 with an initial plan of seven points in Pekonina, Pauh Duo sub-district,” head of the Solok Selatan energy and mineral resources agency Yulian Efi said in the company of energy section chief Zilhamri said in Padang Aro on Tuesday.
Yulian said right now Supreme Energy with the assistance of the regional administration is opening 70 hectares of land which would be continued by road construction.
“We hope that in the five years of explorations, PLN would provide power smoothly,” he said.
He said under the mining working area issued by the energy and mineral resources minister in 2009, the geothermal power which would be produced in Solok Selatan would reach 400 megawatts, while the geohermal area in Liki Pinangawan would reach 62,300 hectares.
In the meantime, according to the result of the initial survey by PT Supreme Energy and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 2008, there were 30 points stretching from Balun, Koto Parik Gadang Diateh sub-district to Liki Pinangawan, Pauh Duo sub-district, of geothermal power in Solok Selatan with a capacity of 600 megawatts.
Yulian also said that PT Supreme Energy planned to produce 1,120 megawatts of power in 2014 and 2015, and 110 megawatts in the first stage. And in the following year production will reach 110 megawatts.
“Under the contract, the power which will be produced reached 2x110 megawatts in 30 years,” he said.
He said in December or January 2012, the Solok Selatan administration will introduce the development of geothermal power into electric power to the general public.
Besides Solok Selatan, the potential of geothermal power in West Sumatra covers seven regencies, including Pasaman, Solok, Pasaman Barat, Limapuluh Kota, Tanahdatar, Agam or 17 points producing electricity of 1,656 megawatts.
