GdF Suez Engie : ENGIE is developing a geothermal power plant project at Rantau Dedap in Indonesia

Geothermal technology enables heat to be recovered from hot rocks or reservoirs of steam or hot water deep underground. Heat recovered in this way can be used directly in district heating networks, but it can also be used to generate electrical power. So in the same way as ENGIE is developing heat generation projects in the Paris region via its subsidiary company Cofely Réseaux, the Group is also using geothermal technologies to generate electricity, and has been conducting initial experiments in Indonesia since 2011.

225 km from the South Sumatran capital Palembang, Rantau Dedap is the location of one of the largest high-temperature geothermal exploration sites in Indonesia.

The first drilling projects undertaken in 2012 and 2013 by ENGIE, PT Supreme Energy and Marubeni Corporation have confirmed the existence of a high-temperature reservoir (above 200°C). The first phase of geothermal resource exploitation began last year.

With a target capacity of 240 MW, the project is due to come on stream next year, and is expected to generate geothermal power for more than 30 years, supplying the electricity needs of 500,000 households and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 1 million metric tons per year.

Estimated at 40% of world reserves, Indonesia has the greatest potential for geothermal anywhere on Earth. Still underexploited, geothermal is looking like an optimal resource with which to respond to the growing demand for energy demand, and a key enabling factor for the nation's energy transition. Geothermal offers encouraging prospects for controlled energy costs, which have encouraged the Indonesian government to develop plans for exploiting 25% of this resource by 2025.

In addition to Rantau Dedap, ENGIE is also developing two other geothermal exploration projects in Indonesia: the Muaralaboh project in Western Sumatra, and the Rajabasa project at the Southern tip of the island.

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