The announcement was made by Inpex subsidiary Inpex Geothermal Sarulla Ltd. The plant is the world’s largest single-contract geothermal power project and is located in Indonesia’s North Sumatra Province. The facility’s first and second units are already in commercial operation. The commencement of the third unit means that the entire plant is now operating.
The three units will generate a combined power output of approximately 330 MW, equivalent to the power consumption of 2.1 million households in Indonesia.
The construction of the geothermal plant began in 2014, involving Inpex, Itochu Corporation, Kyushu Electric Power Co of Japan, PT Medco Power of Indonesia and US company Ormat Technologies as well as Sarulla Operations Ltd. Power from the third unit, as with the first and second units, is to be sold to Perusahaan Listrik Negara, Indonesia’s government-owned electricity company, for a period of 30 years. The supply of electricity from the project is expected to contribute positively to the economic development of Indonesia, where demand for electricity is growing.
As an integrated energy company, Inpex intends to proactively pursue its renewable energy initiatives, which is one of the growth targets outlined in the company’s Medium to Long Term Vision. Inpex Corporation is Japan’s largest exploration and production company, though mostly operating in oil and gas.
Image: A geothermal plant at Wairakei in New Zealand
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