The CEO of PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) Tbk, Julfi Hadi, along with a team led by the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, Achmad Rizal Purnama, monitored a collaboration for the development of geothermal energy in Turkey.
Julfi met with several Turkish partner companies, including Energy Holding and SDS Enerji, to discuss PGE’s expansion plans in the geothermal energy sector in Turkey.
Ambassador Rizal stated that Indonesia and Turkey have significant potential to enhance cooperation in the geothermal energy sector.
He added that PGE’s expansion plans in Turkey further solidify the strategic presence of Indonesian state-owned enterprises (BUMN) globally, particularly in the green energy sector.
The CEO of PGE and the team also had the opportunity to visit a geothermal power plant in Izmir, which further reinforced their view of Turkey as a potential partner for collaborative geothermal development, hoping to create positive synergy for both parties in the future.
Turkey’s power generating capacity
According to data from the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources as of late April 2023, the installed capacity of geothermal power plants in Turkey reached up to 1691.4 MW, making it the fourth-largest in the world, following the United States, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Anatolia, in particular, possesses over 92% of Turkey’s potential geothermal energy sources, with 78% of them located in western Anatolia.
Turkey’s geothermal energy production has experienced significant growth, thanks to favorable conditions, increasing from 80 megawatts (MW) to 1600 MW over the past decade. This increase has made Turkey the fastest-growing geothermal energy country in the world.
In addition to geothermal energy cooperation, Ambassador Rizal has explored collaborations with several solar energy development companies, as this is one of the primary focuses for economic cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey in the field of new and renewable energy sources (EBT).
Apart from the EBT sector, Ambassador Rizal is also pushing for economic cooperation in strategic industries and defense, construction and infrastructure, as well as healthcare and pharmaceuticals.