Jakarta Passes Sweeping Waste Management Regulation

Jakarta Globe, Lenny Tristia Tambun, May 21, 2013

Scavengers collect recyclable plastics at Bantargebang garbage dump
in Bekasi, West Java on March 29. (EPA Photo/Mast Irham)

A new regulation in Jakarta imposes fines of up to Rp 50 million ($5,120) on illegal dumping, while also implementing stricter mandates on eco-friendly bags, biodegradable packaging, littering and waste management.

Unu Nurdin, the head of the Jakarta Cleanliness Office, said the new rule, approved by the Jakarta Legislative Council on Tuesday, mandates that rubbish be put in designated locations and companies manage their waste, especially that which can lead to pollution and environmental degradation.

“If residents and companies do not meet their obligations, as arranged in the regulations, they will face sanctions. The sanctions range from administrative ones to fines of between Rp 500,000 to Rp 50 million,” Unu said after a plenary meeting of the City Council.

Article 126 of the regulation prohibits dumping waste into waterways and water reservoirs, streets, parks and public areas. It also says that waste must be disposed in integrated waste dumps (TPST) and final dump sites (TPA) between 6 a.m to 9 p.m.

“It is also prohibited to dispose waste at the TPST or TPA without a permit, burn waste that pollutes the environment, throw waste from a vehicle, use parts of streets as temporary waste dumps, manage waste that leads to pollution or environmental degradation,” Unu said.

Neighborhood units known as Rukun Warga were also given the authority to slap administrative sanctions on those households which fail to separate their waste into organic and inorganic.

Those responsible over the management of residential, commercial, industrial and other special areas, who are found negligent in providing facilities for waste management will also incur administrative sanctions and fines of between Rp 10 million to Rp 50 million.

Operators of public and social facilities which fail to provide facility for waste separation will incur administrative sanctions and fines of between Rp 1 million to Rp 5 million.

Manufacturers which fail to display matters related to reducing waster or waste handling on their packaging, or use packaging that cannot naturally decompose, may face administrative sanctions as well as fines of Rp 25 million to Rp 50 million.

Shopping center operators who do not use environmentally-friendly shopping bags will also face administrative sanctions as well as fine of between Rp 5 million and Rp 25 million.

“The governor can issue administrative sanctions, including fines, on individuals who intentionally dump waste outside of the allowed time, of up to Rp 100,000,” Uno said.

Litterers, including dumping waste into water ways and reservoirs, on the streets, in parks or in public areas, face a fine of Rp 500,000

Those caught littering from vehicles will also face the same fine. Salvagers working on piles or mounds of waste can also face a fine of a similar amount if they spread the waste.

“These fines will be sent to the regional treasury in line with the regulations and laws. We want the public to be waste conscious, so that we can also reduce floods in Jakarta,” he said.

China becoming global climate change leader: study

Google – AFP, Martin Parry (AFP), 28 April 2013

Solar panels in the Sino-Singapore Eco-city near Tianjin on June 11, 2012

(AFP/File, Ed Jones)

SYDNEY — China is rapidly assuming a global leadership role on climate change alongside the United States, a new study said Monday, but it warned greenhouse gas emissions worldwide continue to rise strongly.

The report by the independent Australian-based Climate Commission, "The Critical Decade: International Action on Climate Change" presents an overview of action in the last nine months.

It was released on the same day as a fresh round of UN talks were to start in Bonn on boosting action on climate change -- a two-decade-long process that has been dogged by procedural bickering and defence of national interests.

The study found that every major economy had policies in place to tackle the issue, but China was at the forefront in strengthening its response, "taking ambitious strides to add renewable energy to its mix".

A wind turbine complex on the Zhemo 

Mountain in the outskirts of Dali in China's

 Yunnan province on November 5, 2009

 (AFP/File, Liu Jin)

"China is accelerating action," said Tim Flannery, the co-author and a key figure at the Climate Commission, which brings together internationally-renowned scientists, as well as policy and business leaders.

"China has halved its growth in electricity demand, dramatically increased its renewable energy capacity, and decelerated its emissions growth more quickly than expected.

"After years of strong growth in coal use, this has begun to level off. They are beginning to put in place seven emissions trading schemes that will cover quarter of a billion people," he said.

The report added that China, which this month agreed to work with the US to tackle global warming, wanted "to position themselves as the world's renewable energy leader".

"Whatever the reason, the results speak for themselves. China is quickly moving to the top of the leader board on climate change," said Flannery.

The report found that in 2012 alone China invested US$65.1 billion in clean energy, 20 percent more than in 2011. This was unmatched and represented 30 percent of the entire G20 nations' investment last year.

It pointed to new solar power capacity in China expanding 75 percent last year while the amount of electricity generated from wind in 2012 was 36 percent higher than 2011.

The United States, which with China produces some 37 percent of world emissions, also significantly strengthened its climate change response, pumping US$35.6 billion into renewable energy last year, second only to Beijing.

The report said the impact of the economic downturn and a progressive shift from coal to gas had kept Washington on track to meet its national goal of reducing emissions by 17 percent on 2005 levels by 2020.

"Important foundations have been set that are likely to have a lasting impact in the coming decades," it added, pointing to California, the world's ninth largest economy, beginning an emissions trading scheme in January.

More than half of US states now have policies to encourage renewable energy.

Beyond China and the US, momentum globally has grown with 98 countries committing to limit emissions.

Workers check a solar panel in a field in Hami, China's Xinjiang region,

on August 6, 2012 (AFP)

"Renewable energy is surging globally with solar capacity increasing 42 percent and wind 21 percent in just one year," said Flannery. "With so much global momentum this is clearly the beginning of the clean energy era."

But while progress was being made, the report cautioned that "it is not enough".

"Globally emissions are continuing to rise strongly, posing serious risks for our society," it said.

"This decade must set the foundations to reduce emissions rapidly to nearly zero by 2050. The earlier such action is under way the less disruptive and costly it will be."

The five-day Bonn negotiations beginning Monday are the first since United Nations talks in Qatar last December that set down a two-track process for tackling greenhouse gases.

The goal is a new climate treaty that will be concluded by 2015 and take effect by 2020. 
Countries would also pledge greater commitment on tackling the carbon problem in the interim years before 2020.

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Advert turns air into drinking water

BBC News, Aida Parados, BBC Mundo, 22 March 2013

The billboard serves a dual purpose, acting to draw students to the newly
established engineering university UTEC

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Just outside Lima, Peru, a billboard provides drinking water to whomever needs it - mainly, its neighbours.

The panel produces clean water from the humidity in the air, through filters.

Researchers at the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Lima and advertising agency Mayo Peru DraftFCB joined forces to launch it.

UTEC says it wanted to put "imagination into action" and show that it is possible to solve people's problems through engineering and technology.

"A billboard that produces drinking water from air," says the billboard up high. And it does what it says on the tin: so far, the billboard has produced over 9,000 litres of drinking water - 96 litres a day.

The panel is strategically located in the village of Bujama, an area south of the capital city that is almost a desert, where some people have no access to clean water.

Access to all

Despite tough conditions with little rain, air humidity reaches 98%, says UTEC.

"The panel traps humidity in the air and transforms it into water. It's that simple," said Jessica Ruas, a spokesperson from the university.

"There is a lot of water. It is right there in the sea, but it is not suitable for drinking purposes, and costs a lot of money to process it."

Ruas says the system might become a wider solution for the problem.

The billboard has become something of
 a local attraction as well as a local
resource

"It Doesn't have to come in the shape of a billboard, but ingenuity is keyto development"

Internally, the panel consists of five devices that extract water vapour from the air using a condenser and filters.

Water is stored in tanks at the top of the structure. Once filtered, it flows down a pipe connected to a tap, accessible to everybody.

The internal system costs some US$1,200 (£790) to set up.

On the publicity side, the panel itself seeks to attract the "creative minds that Peru needs" to the young UTEC, which was founded only a year ago.

"We want to change the minds of future engineers and inspire them," said Ms Ruas.

The neighbours have given the billboard a warm welcome. It has become a local attraction for and motorists and an indispensable part of life in the local village.

"We hadn't realised how big the impact would be," said Ms Ruas.

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"2013 - What Now ?" – Jan 6, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Text version)

“… New ideas are things you never thought of. These ideas will be given to you so you will have answers to the most profound questions that your societies have had since you were born. Inventions will bring clean water to every Human on the planet, cheaply and everywhere. Inventions will give you power, cheaply and everywhere. These ideas will wipe out all of the reasons you now have for pollution, and when you look back on it, you'll go, "This solution was always there. Why didn't we think of that? Why didn't we do this sooner?" Because it wasn't time and you were not ready. You hadn't planted the seeds and you were still battling the old energy, deciding whether you were going to terminate yourselves before 2012. Now you didn't…. and now you didn't.

It's funny, what you ponder about, and what your sociologists consider the "great current problems of mankind", for your new ideas will simply eliminate the very concepts of the questions just as they did in the past. Do you remember? Two hundred years ago, the predictions of sociologists said that you would run out of food, since there wasn't enough land to sustain a greater population. Then you discovered crop rotation and fertilizer. Suddenly, each plot of land could produce many times what it could before. Do you remember the predictions that you would run out of wood to heat your homes? Probably not. That was before electricity. It goes on and on.

So today's puzzles are just as quaint, as you will see. (1)How do you strengthen the power grids of your great nations so that they are not vulnerable to failure or don't require massive infrastructure improvement expenditures? Because cold is coming, and you are going to need more power. (2) What can you do about pollution? (3) What about world overpopulation? Some experts will tell you that a pandemic will be the answer; nature [Gaia] will kill off about one-third of the earth's population. The best minds of the century ponder these puzzles and tell you that you are headed for real problems. You have heard these things all your life.

Let me ask you this. (1) What if you could eliminate the power grid altogether? You can and will. (2) What if pollution-creating sources simply go away, due to new ideas and invention, and the environment starts to self-correct? (3) Overpopulation? You assume that humanity will continue to have children at an exponential rate since they are stupid and can't help themselves. This, dear ones, is a consciousness and education issue, and that is going to change. Imagine a zero growth attribute of many countries - something that will be common. Did you notice that some of your children today are actually starting to ponder if they should have any children at all? What a concept! ….”

Key test for re-healable concrete

BBC News, Paul Rincon, Science editor, 30 October 2012

Bacterial spores are added to the concrete mix; they are activated by water

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Experimental concrete that patches up cracks by itself is to undergo outdoor testing.

The concrete contains limestone-producing bacteria, which are activated by corrosive rainwater working its way into the structure.

The new material could potentially increase the service life of the concrete - with considerable cost savings as a result.

The work is taking place at Delft Technical University, the Netherlands.

It is the brainchild of microbiologist Henk Jonkers and concrete technologist Eric Schlangen.

If all goes well, Dr Jonkers says they could start the process of commercialising the system in 2-3 years.

Concrete is the world's most widely used building material. But it is prone to cracks, which means that structures need to be substantially reinforced with steel.

"Micro-cracks" are an expected part of the hardening process and do not directly cause strength loss. Fractures with a width of about 0.2mm are allowed under norms used by the concrete industry.

But over time, water - along with aggressive chemicals in it - gets into these cracks and corrodes the concrete.

Longer life

"For durability reasons - in order to improve the service life of the construction - it is important to get these micro-cracks healed," Dr Jonkers told BBC News.

Bacterial spores and the nutrients they will need to feed on are added as granules into the concrete mix. But water is the missing ingredient required for the microbes to grow.

Concrete is the world's most popular
building material, but cracking is a
problem

So the spores remain dormant until rainwater works its way into the cracks and activates them. The harmless bacteria - belonging to the Bacillus genus - then feed on the nutrients to produce limestone.

The bacterial food incorporated into the healing agent is calcium lactate - a component of milk. The microbes used in the granules are able to tolerate the highly alkaline environment of the concrete.

"In the lab we have been able to show healing of cracks with a width of 0.5mm - two to three times higher than the norms state," Dr Jonkers explained.

"Now we are upscaling. We have to produce the self-healing agent in huge quantities and we are starting to do outdoor tests, looking at different constructions, different types of concrete to see if this concept really works in practice."

The main challenge is to ensure the healing agent is robust enough to survive the mixing process. But, in order to do so, says Dr Jonkers, "we have to apply a coating to the particles, which is very expensive".

The team is currently trying to reduce the cost this adds to the process. But he expects an improved system to be ready in about six months.

The outdoor tests should begin after this; the team is already talking to several construction firms that could provide help.

The concrete will then have to be monitored for a minimum of two years to see how it behaves in this real-world setting.

"Then, if everybody's happy, we can think about trying to commercialise the product," said the TU Delft researcher.

Even if the healing agent adds 50% to the concrete cost, this makes up just 1-2% of the total construction cost. Maintenance is a much higher percentage of this total cost, so Dr Jonkers expects big savings through extending the concrete's service life.

LEN, Pertamina to Develop Solar Panel Plant

Jakarta Globe, October 29, 2012

LEN Industri and Pertamina will join forces to build a solar cell production
plant. (AFP Photo)

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State-owned companies LEN Industri and Pertamina are collaborating together to build a solar cell production plant in Rancaekek, Bandung, according LEN Insdustri President Abraham Mose.

Abraham, speaking to Antara news agency on Monday, said that the groundbreaking for the plant's construction is expected to take place in December.

"This an asignment project and at the same time an investment, so that we do have a renewable energy inustry in Indonesia," Abraham said. He gave no further details on the plant, but that it could produce solar cells with a total capacity of 60 MWatts.

"This is a venture and an investment. [It will be done] so that we can have a renewable energy industry in Indonesia," Abraham said. He gave no further details about the plant, but mentioned that it could produce solar cells with a capacity of 60 megawatts.

A presidential regulation issued in 2006 states that solar energy should account for between 0.2 and 0.3 precent of national energy usage by 2025, or the equivalent of 1,000 megawatts per hour.

Abraham also noted that LEN was planning on investing in airport navigation equipment.

"We will make a proposal for the airport navigation project since it is in line with LEN's focus. We will do this in the next five years," he said.

Abraham mentioned that on Nov. 28 the company would introduce products made in conjunction with the Research and Technology Ministry.

 LEN Industri's expertise, according to to the company's president, lies in railway signage, marine navigation, renewable energy, military communication equipment and control systems.

Abraham noted that LEN has a strategic corporate division devoted to mapping industrial trends.

"Basically, we are always monitoring development and looking for opportunities for growth," he said.

Indonesia Geothermal Sector Attracts Panax, Mitsubishi, BP, Chevron

Renewable Energy World, Leslie Blodgett, GEA, October 18, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Indonesia has had the lowest volatility in economic growth of any OECD or BRIC economy over the past decade, while its economy in the short term is conjectured at close to 7% growth per year, according to Proactiveinvestors.com.au.

Concurrently, recent efforts by the Indonesian government to attract geothermal companies seem to be having an effect. At a September meeting in Washington DC on Renewable Energy Opportunities in Indonesia, hosted by the US-ASEAN Business Council, speaker Joel Kopp (U.S. Embassy Jakarta) recounted the efforts of Indonesian leaders, who have set a separate feed-in tariff for geothermal at between 10 and 18.5 cents-per-kWh. Also, projects under 10 MW are required to be purchased by state-owned utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). Kopp added that PLN has made improvements to their reliability, as well.

Australian Panax Geothermal is making strides in Indonesia. With three key geothermal projects scheduled to begin production in Indonesia over the next three to four years, Kerry Parker, managing director, commented to press on the company’s growth in Indonesia: “Panax has long recognized the investment potential in Indonesia, having launched several projects within the region and with plans to expand on our current interests,” Parker said. Projects for Panax include the recently negotiated power purchase agreements for its Sokoria and Dairi Prime geothermal projects, each with a planned initial capacity to generate 30 MW. Agreements are with Indonesian electricity regulator PT PLN and the Indonesian Government.

One company with increasing interest is Mitsubishi Corporation, which has agreed to acquire 20% shares of Star Energy Geothermal Pte Ltd ("SEGPL"). SEGPL manages operation of the 420-MW Wayang Windu Geothermal Power Project Plant in Java Island, one of the world's largest geothermal resources. This acquisition is the country’s “first entry into the Indonesian power industry and its first operation of a geothermal power plant,” according to the release. Mitsubishi could develop and operate multiple geothermal power plants in Indonesia in the future, including an expansion of Wayang Windu.

Additionally, oil and gas giant BP (UK) could expand its business in Indonesia, it said recently. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik told The Jakarta Post the government was curious as to whether BP would enter the geothermal energy sector after US-based Chevron “had successfully become the world’s largest geothermal power producer after years of operating in Indonesia.”

Chevron Geothermal’s policy, government and public affairs manager, Ida Bagus Wibatsya was quoted that the development could create healthy competition among geothermal energy developers: “It will be very positive for the development of the geothermal energy industry as well as supporting the government’s programs on renewable energy resources.”

This article was originally published in GEA's Geothermal Energy Weekly and was republished with permission.

A geothermal energy project in Tibet. (Photo/Xinhua)

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"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version) 

“…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”

China's geothermal energy could run the country for 260,000 years

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2012-10-07

A geothermal energy project in Tibet. (Photo/Xinhua)

China holds potential geothermal energy between 3,000 and 10,000 meters below the surface of the earth equal to 860 trillion tons of standard coal, a storage which is estimated to have a lifespan of 260,000 years using current figures for energy consumption.

The Ministry of Land and Resources underwent a national survey on the distribution of geothermal energy over the country between 2009 and 2011, re-evaluating the storage of shallow geothermal energy in 287 cities, geothermal energy in 12 sedimentary basins and 2562 hot springs regions, as well as the potential hot-dry-rock geothermal power at between 3,000 and 10,000 meters below the surface of the earth, reports our sister newspaper the China Times.

The results showed that the total shallow geothermal energy storage is commensurate with 9.5 billion tons of standard coal. The usable part is about 350 million a year, which can save 250 million tons of standard coal and reduce 500 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in a year if the energy is fully exploited and used.

The geothermal power in sedimentary basins is commensurate with 853 billion tons of coal, while the usable part for a year is equal to 640 tons of standard coal, which can reduce 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emission a year.

The survey found the total geothermal energy stored between 3,000 and 10,000 meters below the surface of the earth is about equal to 860 trillion tons of standard coal, which is 260,000 times China's total energy consumption a year.

Geothermal energy is a kind of renewable energy, originating from the original formation of the earth and radioactive decay of minerals. The ministry said the country is moving slowly to exploit the rich energy and need to push the reusable project soon.

A report by Massachusetts Institute of Technology said the United States only has to exploit 2% of its geothermal energy between 3,000 and 10,000 meters below the surface of the earth, which is able to offer electricity equal to 2,500 times the country's total electricity consumption a year.

Related Article:

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”

Geothermal Takes a Step Forward in Indonesia With Sumatra Drill

Jakarta Globe, Tito Summa Siahaan, September 24, 2012

This 2010 file photo shows an Indonesian worker of PT Pertamina Geothermal
 Energy checking a production well in Kamojang. The government has announced
 it will raise the price of three types of renewable energies for electricity needs,
saying the move is necessary to encourage Indonesia's overall renewable
energy production. (AFP Photo/FILES/ ADEK BERRY)

               

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Nearly a decade after government set the rules for geothermal energy, a developer on Friday undertook the first exploration drilling for the much-vaunted resource that could help power the nation.

Supreme Energy Muara Laboh has started drilling at its working area in South Solok, West Sumatra. The activity is expected to take up to nine months to complete, and will be followed by the construction of a 220 megawatt geothermal power plant should the exploration be successful.

The geothermal energy director at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Tisnaldi, hailed the project as an historical landmark because it was the first such activity conducted since the government issued the Law on Geothermal Energy in 2003. He added that it was one of the largest energy projects in Sumatra.

“Geothermal projects are crucial in order to make our energy more environmentally friendly in the future, especially considering that our oil, gas and coal resources are in decline,” Tisnaldi said.

If the power plant goes ahead, the project is estimated to cost Rp 7 trillion ($722 million), according to a company statement received on Sunday. “The power plant construction will start in 2014 and is expected to begin commercial operation in 2016,” the statement said.

The electricity generated from the power plant will be dispatched to state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara’s power grid based on a 30-year power purchase agreement, it said.

Surpeme Energy Muara Laboh is jointly controlled by local company Supreme Energy, France-based International Power-GDF Suez and Japanese firm Sumitomo Corporation.

This project is a part of phase II of a government program to add 10,000 megawatts in generating capacity across the country. While phase I consisted largely of new coal-fired power plants, phase II concentrates on renewable energy.

By 2025, the government expects the portion of electricity generated from renewable energies to reach 17 percent, while diesel fuel will stand at 20 percent, gas at 30 percent and coal at 33 percent.

At present, 5.7 percent of electricity is from renewable sources, 24.5 percent is from coal and 20.1 percent from gas.

To encourage investment, the government this month raised the price floor for renewable energy.

High-Tech Reverse Osmosis Water Plant on Its Way to Riau Islands, Ministry Says

Jakarta Globe, July 28, 2012

Water vendors fill up jerry cans in Madura, East Java. The water comes
from a plant that uses reverse osmosis. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)  

   

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The national government is planning to build a plant to convert seawater into drinking water using reverse osmosis technology in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, an official said on Friday.

The plant will have a clean water production capacity of 50 liters per second, said Danny Sutjiono, director for drinking water development at the Public Works Ministry.

“This is estimated to be able to meet the demand for 40,000 customers at a tariff of around Rp 8,000 to Rp 9,000 per cubic meter per second,” Danny said.

Danny said the project was now in the tender phase for construction. He said that he hoped a contract could be signed in October and that construction could start immediately thereafter.

“I hope the project will be operational at the end of 2013,” he added.

Reverse osmosis is expensive. Danny said the investment needed for the Riau Islands project was four times what freshwater projects of a similar scale would cost.

The Public Works Ministry said it would allocate Rp 40 billion ($4.24 million) to build the plant.

The winner of the tender must not only construct the physical facility but also operate the plant and build the necessary distribution pipeline network, Danny said.

“They will have to handle the construction process and the provision of water. All we want is for the seawater to be processed into drinking water and channeled to the houses,” he said.

The ministry has already built one reverse osmosis plant, on Mandangin island in Sampang, East Java, off the coast of the larger Madura island.

That plant has a similar production capacity to that of the proposed Riau Islands facility. After the Mandangin plant is officially inaugurated by Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto in early August, it will serve an estimated 20,000 people.

That plant’s water sells for Rp 12,000 per cubic meter per second, Danny said.

Investor Daily

Geothermal Power Could Help Bridge Indonesia's Energy Gap: WWF

Jakarta Globe, Fidelis E. Satriastanti,  July 06, 2012

An employee of Indonesia Power walks near a thermal pipe at Kamojang
 geothermal power plant near Garut, in Indonesia's West Java province in this
 file photo. Indonesia invested in green energy like geothermal power at a greater
rate than G20 countries like the United States, India and Japan. (Reuters Photo)      

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WWF Indonesia launched a report on Thursday which mapped out the country’s geothermal resources in a bid to promote the use of alternative energy sources.

The report, titled “Igniting the Ring of Fire: A Vision to Develop Indonesia’s Geothermal Power,” said Indonesia had the world’s biggest geothermal potential as the country sat on the world’s most active volcanic belt, the Ring of Fire, which frames the Pacific Ocean.

There could be up to 29 gigawatts of electricity produced if Indonesia was into tap all of its geothermal resources, the report said.

That is more than enough energy to fulfil the needs of two of Indonesia’s most populated islands, Java and Bali, where demand peaked in April at 20.1 gigawatts.

Currently, Indonesia only uses 1.2 gigawatts of geothermal power, the environment group said.

“The WWF, globally, has launched a mission of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. It is an ambitious mission but hopefully serves as an inspiration. [The] Ring of Fire [project] wants [to accomplish] that mission,” WWF project coordinator Indra Sari Wardhani said.

Indra said that Indonesia must harness geothermal energy by not overlooking environmental, social and economic impacts as well as the capacity of the regional administrations and local residents.

“Challenges for developing geothermal [power] start with regulation and governance. In terms of regulation, there is an overlap between geothermal areas and forest areas,” the WWF coordinator said. “Ways need to be found so forest conservation is not sacrificed. There needs to be best practices [of geothermal harvesting] which can serve as benchmarks.”

The government has said it wants 25 percent of power used in the country to come from renewable energy sources and a 25 percent drop in carbon emissions by 2025. But the WWF said Indonesia could exceed that by harnessing geothermal energy, which now only contributes 1 percent of the country’s energy needs.

Last month, Energy Minister Jero Wacik said the government planned to directly award more concessions to companies to speed up the sector’s development.

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Bamboo points way to green construction in Indonesia's Bali

AsiaOne, AFP, Sunday, Jun 10, 2012

SIBANG KAJA, Indonesia - Strong, light and cheaper than steel poles, bamboo is ubiquitous across Asia as scaffolding.

So much so that in recognition of the material's versatility, the Indonesian island of Bali has made it an emblem of sustainable construction, replacing buildings of concrete and steel with far greener alternatives.

An entire school, luxury villas and even a chocolate factory are the latest structures to rise from bamboo skeletons as the plant's green credentials and strength are hailed.

A general view a a roof of a chocolate
 factory constructed from bamboo
at a village in Sibang, Badung regency
 on Bali island in this photograph taken
on June 4, 2012. (AFP Photo/Sonny 
Tumbelaka)

The factory, which opened last year and produces organic drinking chocolate and cocoa butter, is the latest in a string of buildings on the island, including homes and businesses, to be built of bamboo.

Erected in the village of Sibang Kaja between the resort island's smoggy capital Denpasar and the forests of Ubud, the factory is the initiative of specialty food firm Big Tree Farms, which claims the 2,550-square-metre (27,500-square-foot) facility is the biggest commercial bamboo building in the world.

"Bamboo is unmatched as a sustainable building material. What it can do is remarkable," Big Tree Farms co-founder Ben Ripple, 37, told AFP.

"It grows far more quickly than timber and doesn't destroy the land it's grown on," said Ripple, an American from Connecticut. "Our factory can be packed up and moved in days, so if we decided to shut it down one day, we're not going to damage the rice paddies we sit on."

The 100 hectares (247 acres) of paddies sit inside a so-called "bamboo triangle," with the factory, school and villas standing at each of the three points.

Such ambitious bamboo projects in Bali are mostly driven by eco-conscious foreigners.

With studies showing construction to be one of the world's least sustainable industries - eating up around half of the globe's non-renewable resources - sustainable construction is slowly taking root around the world.

It is among the key topics for discussion at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which opens June 20 in Rio de Janeiro.

In Sibang, the tawny brown bamboo buildings with their grass thatched roofs appear to be rising from the earth.

The three-storey chocolate factory is pieced together using a complex system of scissor trusses and bolts, thanks to clever architecture.

It resembles the traditional longhouses found on Borneo island and was made with more than 18,000 metres (59,000 feet) of bamboo from Bali and Java.

At Sibang's nearby Green School, the 240 students - most of them children of expatriates - learn in semi-outdoor classrooms decked with bamboo furniture.

The school, which opened in 2008 and was the magnet for the other two projects, has 25 bamboo buildings, the main one being a stilt-structure constructed with 2,500 bamboo poles, or culms.

"In Hong Kong and China, they make new skyscrapers of concrete and glass using bamboo scaffolding. But here, the workmen stood on steel scaffolding to build this bamboo building. That's always seemed funny to me," said Green School admissions head Ben Macrory, from New York.

"In most parts of Asia, bamboo is seen as the poor man's timber."

Not, however, in Sibang, where the bamboo villas that nestle between the palm trees are worth US$350,000 to US$700,000 (S$450,000 to S$899,000) each.

Like decadent treehouses for adults, they have semi-outdoor areas and include innovative bamboo flooring that resembles smooth timber and jellybean-shaped coffee tables made from thin bamboo slats.

Bamboo - technically a grass - has been used in building for centuries because of its impressive strength-to-weight ratio.

Jules Janssen, an authority on bamboo in the Netherlands, says that the weight of a 5,000-kilogram (11,000-pound) elephant can be supported by a short bamboo stub with a surface area of just 10 square centimetres (1.5 square inches).

One reason bamboo is so environmentally-friendly is the speed at which it grows, according to Terry Sunderland, a scientist at the Centre for International Forestry Research in Indonesia.

"In China, eucalyptus can grow at three to four metres (10-13 feet) a year, which is very impressive for timber. But building-quality bamboo will grow between six and 10 metres (20-33 feet) in that time," he said.

And unlike trees that rarely grow back once felled, bamboo will continue to produce new shoots even after cutting.

But even bamboo has its drawbacks.

Without intensive treatment, it is prone to rotting after exposure to water. It also catches fire relatively easily, which is why many countries limit bamboo structures to just a few storeys.

Ripple acknowledged that building with bamboo was not foolproof, but expressed optimism that the technology to protect it from the elements will improve.

"A friend we work with here always says bamboo needs a hat, rain jacket and boots," he said. "We're lacking on the rain jacket a bit, but we're looking at non-toxic materials to give it some protection."

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