New Zealand Supports Indonesia's Geothermal Sector

The roundtable discussion on geothermal cooperation between New Zealand and Indonesia.

Indonesia and New Zealand have agreed to strengthen bilateral links in the geothermal sector. Last week, the President’s Special Delivery Unit on Development Coordination & Oversight (UKP4) held a roundtable discussion on geothermal cooperation between the two countries. At the event, New Zealand presented the findings and recommendations of the Geothermal Scoping Mission that New Zealand commissioned last March to Indonesian government agencies, industries, universities, as well as international organisations.

The scoping study was aimed at identifying opportunities for New Zealand ’s aid programme to contribute to Indonesia ’s plans to scale up its geothermal energy production by almost 4000MW by 2015. At the discussion, New Zealand was represented by Cecile Hillyer (Director of Bilateral Global Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Ambassador David Taylor, Development Counsellor Kirk Yates, and Development Programme Coordinator Rachmi Anindita.

New Zealand and Indonesia have a long history in geothermal energy cooperation. New Zealand and Indonesian engineers developed Indonesia ’s first geothermal energy plant at Kamojang, West Java in the 1970s. New Zealand has also trained over 160 Indonesian engineers at the University of Auckland ’s Geothermal Institute.