Post on 13-May-2019
The Gunung Salak Geothermal Project in Indonesia uses energy from heat deep under the earth’s surface to generate electricity. The project earns one carbon credit for every tonne of greenhouse gas emissions it prevents by generating power from the earth’s heat rather than burning coal.
Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands located along what is known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a vast belt of high volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia itself has more than 150 active volcanoes. Whilst the volcanoes and earthquakes common to this geological zone can be highly destructive, these conditions also have a positive side in that they bring heat from deep within the earth much closer to the surface. That heat can be harnessed and used to create steam, which in turn is used to generate clean renewable geothermal electricity.
The Gunung Salak Geothermal Project is located 100km southwest of the bustling city of Jakarta in the tropical forests of western Java.
The surrounding Mount Halimun Salak National Park is home to a host of animals and birds, including the endangered West Javan gibbon and Javan lutung.
The project involved the upgrade of turbines at an existing geothermal power plant to make them significantly more efficient. The plant can now generate more clean electricity from the same source of geothermal steam. In this way it delivers an additional 200,000 MWh of electricity per year to the Indonesian grid, reducing demand for fossil fuels.
There is rich potential to generate geothermal electricity in Indonesia, but so far this technology is underutilised due to high implementation costs and technical risks. With carbon funding to help mitigate these, the Gunung Salak Geothermal Project provides an example for the rest of the country.
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THAILAND
Gunung Salak Geothermal ProjectEducation and employment for rural Indonesia
Promoting education and gender equalityThe project is located in a remote and sparsely populated region where unemployment is high and there are limited education opportunities. In close cooperation with the local community the project owners have focused on activities that improve the lives of local people.
As a direct result of the specific training in this new technology, 12 new jobs in the geothermal plant have been filled by local people. During the construction phase 24 temporary jobs were created, boosting the local economy. The project also improves employment opportunities outside of the power plant by providing vocational training for unemployed women and men to work in the garment industry.
These sewing courses are particularly empowering for women, providing them with skills to be self-sufficient.
To promote education and gender equality the project has funded the construction of a boarding school for girls, the Husnayain Islamic Boarding School situated in the Kabandungan Village, as well as books and educational materials. This has been a major boost for education, providing the girls in the region with more opportunities for their future. The project owners have also donated books and provided funding for operational costs to the local Raudhatul Jannah Kindergarten.
The everyday lives of the communities surrounding the power plant have been improved by the upgrade of local roads, which helps promote economic development. The power plant obtained the green certificate under the “Corporate Environmental Management Performance Rating Program” awarded by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment five years in row since 2009.
Project snapshotName Gunung Salak Geothermal Project
Location Kabandungan District, West Java Province, Indonesia
Type Geothermal
Emissions prevented 110,000 tonnes of CO2e per year
Standard Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)
“ Gunung Salak geothermal power plant is the only company in the area that has helped continuously since 2004 and even increased their assistance by helping the kindergarten operational cost with hope to provide education since early childhood.”
– Ms. Ali, Principal of Raudhatul Jannah Kindergarten
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