The Banten provincial mining and energy agency is currently focusing on the exploitation of geothermal energy in Serang, Pandeglang, and Lebak regency

According to the result of a survey by the regional administration, the three regencies have the capacity to produce at least 800 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

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Head of the mining and geological division of the Banten provincial mining and energy agency Eko said in 2010 his side will maximize the use of geothermal energy available in Banten.

He said that the geothermal energy potential of 800 MW is located in Batukuwung (Serang regency), 170 MW in Gunung Karang ( Pandeglang regency), 170 MW in Citaman, Gunung Karang (Pandeglang regency), 20 MW in awa Dano (Serang regency), 115 MW in Gunung Pulosari (Pandeglang regency), and 225 MW in Gunung Endut (Lebak regency)

“We have for quite some time been trying to make use of the geothernal energy and produce it into big electric energy, Eko said here.

Geothermal energy as a source of electric energy has many advantages to the environment or the economy, compared to other natural resources like coal, natural oil, water and others.

Geothermal energy as a renewable energy is most reliable for the operation of power plants because geothermal fluids as a source of energy will always be available in constant quantity.

And under a decree of the minister of energy and mineral resources dated January 15, 2009, the Kaldera geothermal area in Banten, has entered the national agenda.
Therefore, Eko said he has prepared a tender, which will be held in May 2010 at international level.

The participants of the tender are both domestic and foreign. It has been estimated that the total geothermal energy potential in Indonesia reached 27,000 MW, and Banten province is one of the biggest contributors. And even so, not the entire geothermal potential in Banten had already been identified.

Several countries have expressed their interest in making an investment in Indonesia, including the Philippines, besides several domestic companies.

Eko said that many parties are interested in developing geothermal energy in Banten, because of its strategic location, and easy to reach from the national capital city.

“As this is a big project of international scale, we are trying arrange things that the participants of the tender are companies having a secured asset worth at least US$ 10 million,” he said