World Largest Potential of Geothermal Energy

Visit one of the islands of Indonesia, and the possibility of day trips to one of the largest volcanic islands will be in your schedule. Many of them still active, enchant you with their real existence, with the seductive guide the steamy, gray mud volcanoes smear on your face to face soon.

Finally, the smell of sulfur will lead to your back down the mountain, walk or run back to your tour bus. But there is more than a "wow" factor: The Indian government recently announced plans 4000 MW of geothermal energy development of the volcanoes in 2014.

While the chattering classes debate the future impact of China and India in the energy supply of the earth, Indonesia is the sleeping giant slowly at the site of the world economy. After years of slow growth and corruption under the regime of Suharto, Indonesia is to reduce debt, attract more foreign direct investment, and financial reforms implemented. Poverty is declining, but still a trap about 18% of its population of about 230 million people, 35% of them have no electricity before.

And this is the puzzle. Indonesia, most of its energy needs with coal, consumption will only increase in coming years. But most experts believe that Indonesia has the largest geothermal energy in the world, but only a small portion is harvested: 1100 megawatts per year. Estimates vary on how much the entire project will house fuel: simple mathematical set four million homes, my conservative estimates indicate that 800 000 houses could benefit.

This project challenges. First is the cost: U.S. $ 12 billion, a large amount for a country with a GDP of U.S. $ 514,000,000,000. And on average, a geothermal power plants are twice the cost of which is powered by coal. Then you throw into the mix of logistics: The project as conceived now spread throughout this nation of 17,000 islands. Finally, the islands are inhabited by ethnic groups whose leaders have little love for the Javanese, Indonesia's largest ethnic group and the control of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

Indonesia still has the potential to force more homes while weaning itself off of coal in the long term. Geothermal electric plant Kamojang has been provided 1982. Balinese are also host to the largest geothermal conference in the world this weekend. So far the World Bank and Asian Development Bank has invested about U.S. $ 400 million. There is a long road, but the outcome could be worth it, because more people out of poverty and the government seeks to increase economic development for their people to help.