Geothermal energy could help meet Indonesia’s energy targets

Indonesia’s geothermal energy potential stands at 29 gigawatts, enough to meet the needs of its most populous islands.

“Igniting the Ring of Fire: A Vision to Develop Indonesia’s Geothermal Power,” a report by WWF Indonesia, details the country’s geothermal resources in an effort to promote the use of renewable energy sources. Geothermal energy contributes only 1% of Indonesia’s current energy needs.

The report noted that Indonesia has the world’s largest geothermal potential, which it estimated at 29 gigawatts of electricity if Indonesia exploited all of its geothermal resources. It said this is more than enough to meet the needs of two of Indonesia’s most populous islands, Java and Bali, where demand peaked in April at 20GW.

WWF said Indonesia only produces 1.2GW of geothermal power. It encouraged Indonesia to harness geothermal energy but should not overlook its environmental, social and economic impacts.

The Indonesian government wants 25% of electric power to come from renewable energy sources and a 25% drop in carbon emissions by 2025. The WWF, however, said Indonesia could exceed these targets by harnessing geothermal energy.