Oct 17 2012
General Electric and Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) signed today a Letter of Intent (LOI) to jointly develop a program on renewable energy using GE's integrated biomass gasification technology and expertise.
The LOI also explores the implementation of this technology through a pilot plant project in Sumba and other islands using wood-chips as a fuel source. The project is expected to generate 1 Megawatt of electricity for households and small industries in remote Sumba.
The commitment between PLN and GE will see the utilization of fuel for generating electricity in Indonesia which has rich sources of renewable energy.
"PLN strongly believes that GE's technology and expertise can play an important role in the development of biomass power plants in Indonesia," said Nur Pamudji, President Director of Perusahaan Listrik Negara.
"The success of this pilot plant in Sumba and other islands will demonstrate the technical and economic viability of extending electricity to rural areas using biomass fuel and will serve as a model for developing biomass power plants in other parts of Indonesia. We are excited," he added.
"GE is committed to bringing advanced technology and design solutions to help Indonesia overcome its development challenges. We are pleased to support our valued partner, PLN, in their effort to sustainably meet the country's increasing energy demand and provide much needed electricity to millions of Indonesians in the rural areas," said Handry Satriago, CEO of GE Indonesia.
GE's gas engine technology has been widely used in the Indonesian power generation sector. More than 700 units combining Jenbacher and Waukesha engines are in operation utilizing natural and non-natural gas fuels. Thirty percent of these engines are used to generate renewable and clean energy derived from waste such as palm oil mills effluent, agri-waste biogas, low-rank coal syngas, coal bed methane and oil & gas sector products.
GE's integrated biomass gasification technology, developed by the GE Global Research Center, is a proven solution to efficiently convert syngas from biomass feedstock into power.
The technology supports Indonesia's target to reduce carbon emissions by 26% in 2020 while providing renewable energy for distributed generation through the country's power grid.
Indonesia is a strategic market for GE in ASEAN. GE has been in the region for over a century and is today a partner for growth supporting the development of the region's infrastructure and its people through offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam. Cambodia and soon Myanmar.
GE employs over 7,000 employs in the region. For 2011, GE in ASEAN recorded revenue close to USD3 billion mainly from oil and gas, power and water, energy management, healthcare, aviation and transportation.