As reported locally, PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) is now preparing to develop the expansion of the 55 MW Lumut Balai geothermal power plant in South Sumatra, Indonesia.
PGE has successfully completed Lumut Balai Unit 1, which started commercial operation in August 2019 with an installed power generation capacity of 55 MW. The new expansion under way now with Unit 2 will have the same capacity of 55 MW, which would bring the total capacity to 110 MW.
PGE Managing Director Ali Mundakir said that his company would immediately explore Lumut Balai Unit 2 by searching for steam.
“For power plants and pipelines, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is funding,” Ali said last week.
He added, for the tender for the design, purchase, construction, and testing (engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning / EPCC) will be carried out in 2020. “Lumut Balai Unit 2 is targeted for COD in 2022,” he explained.
In addition to working on the Lumut Balai Unit 2 project, by 2020 PGE is also preparing to work on Hulu Lais, Bengkulu Province and the Seulawah geothermal, Aceh Province.
For geothermal Hulu Lais, the capacity to be developed is 2x 55 MW. PGE has succeeded in finding steam reserves in three production wells. At present, drilling for injection wells is still underway.
“PGE only has to make a final investment decision with PLN because the power plant will be managed by PLN, PGE only sells its geothermal steam,” he explained.
Meanwhile, drilling in Seulawah, is planned for the end of 2020 by drilling three wells in stages.
To work on the three projects, PGE projects a budget of US $110 million.
