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)  

   

Related articles

• Indonesia's Clean Drinking Water Crisis Worst in Southeast Asia: Expert
• Central Java Villages High and Dry as Water Crisis Looms
• Jakarta Water Trust Plays Alleged Obfuscation Game
• Clean Water Is a Human Right, but It Also Makes Sound Economic Sense
• WaterPrivatization in Jakarta ‘Not Working’

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)      

Related articles

• Indonesia to Expand Direct Appointment for Geothermal Concessions
• Indonesia Announces Huge Geothermal Energy Investment
• Geothermal Projects Kick Off With Govt Guarantee
• Bali’s Governor Pulls Plug on Bedugul Geothermal Project

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.

Related Article:

Indonesia pursues wind power