Amid recent campaigns for renewable energy, a geothermal mining working area in Solok Regency, West Sumatra, has failed to attract investors, the government says.
West Sumatra Energy and Mineral Resources Agency chief Marzuki Mahdi on Tuesday said he had twice publicly announced the bid for the geothermal mining working area in Bukit Kili, but had received no responses at all, kompas.com reported.
The working area has the potential to produce up to 86 megawatts of electricity (MWe) for power generation, with a realization of up to 53 MWe.
Upon recommendation from the geology office of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the working area in Bukit Kili may be combined with that of Gunung Talang. Gunung Talang has an untapped potencial for 58 MWe, with a realized figure yet to be calculated, Marzuki said.
West Sumatra has geothermal potentials in 16 areas with a total output of up to 1,656 MWe in the regencies of Pasaman, Limapuluh Kota, Agam, Solok, Tanah Datar and Solok Selatan, and in Solok city.
The mining working area in Solok Selatan had been tendered earlier, with PT Supreme Energy as the winner. The company is currently conducting a survey in the area.
