INITIATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAHENDONG GEOTHERMAL EDUCATION PARK, NORTH SULAWESI, THROUGH STUDENT COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

Abstract

Lahendong geothermal field that is located in the beautiful volcanic landscape of Tomohon (30 km South of Manado) is the first geothermal field developed in the eastern part of Indonesia. Up to 2015 the field has met about 37% of the electricity demand of the North Sulawesi Province.
One of the key factors for the sustainability of geothermal business in the Province (and Indonesia in general) is the support from the community. The development of the Lahendong Geothermal Education Park (LGEP) that has been planned since 2011 aims to provide a geothermal public education facility in North Sulawesi that can increase the community awareness of the benefits of the development of this renewable energy resource.
Gadjah Mada University (UGM) works together with the geothermal stakeholders in the Province to initiate the development of the park. This was done through Student Community Empowerment (SCE) Program 2015. This paper presents the development process, the initial results, and the future work plans.