Introduction
Geothermal energy refers to a kind of electric power energy generated through water dams. More often than not geothermal energy generates large amount of electric energy than any other source of energy like the solar panels and wind energy. Most countries in the world rely on geothermal energy for running major sectors of their economies like the industrial sector, household, commercial sector, and transport sector among others.
The industrial sector heavily relies on electric energy from geothermal source for the manufacturing activities, processing activities, and running of heavy machines. The household sector relies on electric energy for daily routine use at homes while the commercial sector relies on electric energy for keeping machines operational and the modern day transport system has gone hi-tech to comprise high-speed electric trains and zero emission electric cars which basically rely on the electric energy generated from geothermal sources. The above mentioned sectors except the household sector, consume large energy voltages that other sources of energy like wind driven turbines or solar energy may not be able to produce thus the inevitable need for geothermal energy.
Alternative Sources of Energy
As mentioned earlier on, other sources of energy include solar energy, wind energy, coal energy, and petroleum fuel energy which majorly uses diesel fuel. Among all these energy sources, geothermal energy still remains an outstanding source of energy. This is because the amount of energy produced through solar and wind cannot be sufficient to run and sustain the country’s high energy demand. The country’s industrial sector is highly growing and this implies a growing energy demand; a kind of energy demand that not even the geothermal power supply can entirely sustain but can do better than all the other sources of energy combined.
Geothermal Power as the Best Option
Indonesia has taken the upstream energy development plan as the best option to other sources of energy. This is because the energy plan comes with a plethora of benefits which are far much incomparable to the other sources. Such benefits include better environmental conversation, higher power voltage than all the other sources combined, more stable power generation than the other sources combined. For instance, fuel energy has been one of the most prolific sources of carbon emission in the country due to its wide usage thus compelling the government to devise measures of reducing this carbon emission; and one of the devised ways is stepping up geothermal power supply through the geothermal energy upstream development project. Wind and solar energies also do not produce carbon gases into the atmosphere but they are unstable sources of energy for the country’s high power demand.
Indonesia has undergone tremendous development over the past ten years. There have been multiple job creations and their economic growth has been tremendously increasing [1]. This has mostly been fuelled by the country’s power sector which has been ever-expanding. Nevertheless, it is a major development challenge for the country to sustain the high demand for electricity given the growing nature of the country’s economy. The government has devised interventionism measures to curb this challenge by putting in place the Electricity Supply Business Plan [1]. The government of Indonesia deems geothermal development as a strategic measure to aid in lowering carbon emission in the country. Geothermal energy development is one of the most prioritized development programs by the Indonesian government.
Environmental Conservation by Geothermal Energy
The geothermal energy upstream development project will help the country conserve its environment from the incessant emission of carbon gases. Research shows that one of the aims of the geothermal energy power plan is to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emission. Moreover, the power development program anticipates achieving a 29% reduction in carbon gas emission by 2030 to do away with the status-quo which has seen high carbon emission in the country since 2010. The main aim of this project is to ensure reduction of greenhouse gas emission and facilitation of investments in geothermal power generation. This program can be put in place by offering support of risk mitigation mechanism in geothermal drilling exploration and client conduct building capacity which is an efficient tender and exploration program. For the project to work effectively it has been sub-divided into two components namely Capacity Building on Geothermal Exploration and Environmental and Social Safeguards Management and Risk Mitigation for Geothermal Exploration Drilling [2] . There are certain entities that will be involved in the project on its completion; World Bank for instance will prepare the GEUDP with the company’s objectives to assist in investments in electricity based in the geothermal through pre-license drills, government sponsorships and provision of technical assistance and capacity construction [2].
In accordance with the past statistical research only 5% of total resources are currently developed in power production procedures [2]. There is a potential energy demand of about 27GW although only 1.3GW has been managed so far [2]. The bone of contention in the country’s energy sector has been the issue of slower than the desired geothermal production.
This project will assist in reduction of the generation of the greenhouse gases by allowing for the renewable energy supply to the areas with the local grids. This closely entails the program of operating and constructing in distributing infrastructure. This will allow for reduced greenhouse gas emissions in relation to diesel generation comparatively. This will therefore assist in electricity delivery to new people and customers and also low-carbon electricity delivery into their local grids.
Taking a look at the first component mentioned above, that is the risk mitigation for geothermal exploratory drilling it does focus on supporting and withholding government-sponsored drills. According to different researches the graphs show that the drilling explorations and preparations are the most risky parts of the project. This approach has been greatly utilized by other countries for example Turkey. The Turkey MTA ensures that it auctions and explores certain areas that are either off sites that are possible for production of power to the private investors [3]. The result has been productive since as we speak Turkey has the fastest emerging geothermal sector in the universe. This is mainly because of the areas the MTA has conducted their drilling explorations and thus reduction of risking resources. There are also other countries that have adopted this procedure namely; the United States of America, Japanand New Zealand.
Additionally, the second component assists in financing a capacity building program that establishes efficiently and effectively a geothermal energy tendering and exploration program that includes various activities. Some of the activities that will be catered for by the program are; in geology, geophysics and geochemistry surveys there will be advisory support, in preparation of drilling, completion of wells and assessing of resource reports there will be advisory support and lastly there will recruiting and exploring of the management team [3].
Sustainability Dimensions
Economic Dimension
This project will assist Indonesia economically to gain its stability in different ways. This ways must be in accordance to the laws and regulations that are in the Indonesia rules and policy section. According to the Act No. 41 0f 1999 on forestry, there should be sustainability of the ecosystem in the forest and its roles both ecology and economic purposes [4]. Development activities are permitted other than forestry in a manner that is selective in order to evade possible major damage that will reduce the functions of the forest. These activities that are easily avoidable are prudently permitted and they include mining, communication, water installation and electricity [4]. This therefore applies even to geothermal plants that can be started in protection forest or even forest areas.
Secondly, the policy of involuntary resettlement which tries to address the impact of economic impacts from the activities in the project that will create involuntary land grabbing, shelter relocation, assets manipulation, losing income sources and livelihoods and defiance of access of parks that are designated and areas under protection which results in adverse effects on the people displaced. The policy also ensures that project infrastructure are sited and chosen so as to avoid its impacts or also to minimize the possible impacts. In a situation that the impacts cannot be avoidable the policy ensures that the resettlement policy framework is adhered to and the resettlement action plan is also exhibited this ensures that there is prohibition of community donation of land for the location of certain infrastructure.
Thirdly, there is the Government Regulation Act No. 24 of 2010 which focuses on forest utilization. This has allowed the forest areas to be a nationally strategic activity since there has been geothermal energy development in those protected regions [4]. Although those programs must be permitted by the rule of law they do assist the country to manage their resources thus economic growth. Fourthly, the Government Regulation Act No. 28 which revolves around the management of Nature and Natural Reserve Area conservation. This act allows other geothermal activities but does not only allow mining in its region. From different statistics it is known that mining degrades lands thus living large margins of land unproductive. The law protects the land from degradation and thus these lands can be recycled economically and other economic activities can be harnessed on these grounds [5].
Lastly, there are direct impacts that are caused by these laws. For instance, these laws relate to compensation of lost lands, assets or income. They ensure that lands and losses taken by these projects are accounted for. So long as there is fair compensation of properties considered then the mitigation impact is not explained. This therefore allows for the projects to run smoothly as the law covers for both the people and the company. People will also not shy away from engaging in business with the geothermal companies because they are protected by the law therefore economic growth.
Social Dimension
This project will also assist Indonesia socially to achieve a couple of tasks and aspects in relation to growth and the inter-country relations. For instance, the World Bank safeguard policies can trigger the geothermal exploration projects. They have the environmental assessment which is under the component project one [5]. It claims that it will be able to fund exploration of geothermal resources at different sites but the locations are not yet known in the project appraisal time. Suppose the project is implemented it does affect the people socially since the original people will be able to interact with other people and they will also have employment opportunities.
Secondly, according to the Act No. 32 of 2009 on protection and management of the environment tries to ensure that all living things ecosystem conservation is protected. The project which is geothermal and environment friendly ensures that it protects living things and the people at large [5]. This mode of harnessing energy does not affect the people thus it ensures that people will co-exist peacefully and live healthy lives. With common knowledge it is known that a community that is healthy is a productive, socially interactive and welcoming community. People will be able to continue with their normal patterns of life.
Environmental Dimension
This project has a major impact on the environment. First and fore most it is a safe way of harnessing energy this guarantees that the living things are protected. This is in accordance with act of Protection and Management of the Environment in the Act No. 32 of 2009. The geothermal activities should ensure that environment is safe and free from pollution and damage of the environment.
Another act that ensures environmental protection is the Act No. 24 of 2010 which also protects it from degradation. The project does follow this act and it is a geothermal project hence it does not involve mining [6]. The act does not allow mining in certain areas with an aim of environment protection. This project guarantees no environmental exploitation, degradation or pollution. Animals, people and plants co-existing in these areas are protected from exploitation. If the forests are protected from being exhausted by the project to the environment it might even be a double gain this is because the environment is not affected and clean and healthy energy is being harnessed.
In relation to these two policies which are followed word by word by the geothermal project that is the Ministry of Environment Regulation No. 16 of 2012 on Environmental Document Guidance and Guidelines for Public Involvement in Environmental Permitting Process and Environmental Assessment which their main aim is to show validity [6]. The project has adopted and followed closely the above rules thus showing how legitimate the project can be. From the first regulation which validates and shows how the project can be prepared so as to get environmental permits [6]. In application of the above process the project is passed to be transparent thus environmentally accepted. This will assist Indonesia to attain sustainability this is because with clean and healthy environment so does its population become more productive and environmentally stable.
In conclusion, the sustainability dimensions are assisted to achieve sustainability by the project although; there are certain minor factors that are not guaranteed by the project. The government policies and laws should always be followed in order for a project to be considered legible and applicable.
Resilience Concept and the Three Dimensions
There are mitigation measures in place through engineering to mitigate and reduce any faults that may arise in the process of implementing the project. The engineering department has placed major focus on the environmental conversation to ensure the drilling and excavation activities involved in the process of geothermal power plant construction do not significantly affect the environment and the neighboring communities.
Geothermal energy extraction involves drilling of large water dams to store water for continuous production of electricity [7]. The engineers have ensured there are no communities living around such places of the dam construction. Secondly, energy is normally extracted in high voltage that can cause mass electrocution thus the engineers have placed warning signs and danger signs around the power plant to warn people of the impending danger around those areas. The geothermal power plant will be established in a natural habitat with living things. It will therefore involve activities like clearing of lands for feeder roads, pipelines or well pads and also support of infrastructure which clearly damages natural habitats. The engineering department has therefore ensured the project will be implemented in areas of very scarce human population like [8].
The engineering department has also established that in the process of energy extraction, there are possibilities of discharging water and abstracting of treated waste water, pollution of water and possible water overflow or pond failure. Counter measures have been put in place to curb such through different separation of water streams and applying pond treatment of such water. Besides, overexploitation of the clean and fresh and water bodies shall also be regulated by using at most one third of the seasonal low flow from the water features [9].
As a resilience measure, the project will ensure maximum usage of septic tanks for treatment of domestic waste water before discharging them as well as ensuring the septic tank is emptied in time and the sludge disposed off to the landfills [10]. On the other hand, the drilling fluids can as well be reused in the process while discharging the used water into the reinjection wells.
Land use and soil contamination is another factor that has been put into consideration with the resilience plan. Contaminated fluids and murky waters must neither be discharged into open land nor should hazardous products and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste be practiced [11]. The most practical way of avoiding the aforementioned is through restraining inappropriate dumping of waste.
Conclusion
The above literature shows how effective implementation of the geothermal upstream development can be undertaken in Indonesia without causing any social, economic, or environmental harm to the people of Indonesia. The engineering department must therefore exercise cautionary and preventive measures to ensure successful implementation of the project. It is also evident that the project will have enormous economic impact to the people of Indonesia as it will help in boosting energy supply that is highly demanded in the industrial sector, household sector, commercial sector, communication sector, and even transport sector. It is an important recommendation that the project be undertaken in the most cautious and environment-friendly manner.
References
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