Geothermal Potency for Alumina Productions in West Kalimantan

Abstract

Indonesia is a biggest producer of bauxite in the world.In 2011,an average of 40 million tonnes of bauxite are exported to China and Japan.But,it’s still a raw material who has low economic’s value than final material products. So,bauxite must be treated by Bayer Process to get alumina.Then,alumina is changed to be aluminium by Hall-Heroult Process.The lack of funds still become a reason of government to not build a alumina’s smelter yet.And then,energy resource is consumed for alumina’s smelter can be major problem.Actually,the lack of power supplies in around bauxite mining area can be solved.For example in West Kalimantan,a power supplies problem can be solved by building a PLTP(Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi).This solution is exactly because operating costs more cheapper and good environment in West Kalimantan.Where West Kalimantan is one of bigger produced of bauxite region after Bintan Islands.So,alumina is produced efficiently because of same area between PLTP and bauxite mining region. According PT Alcoa Mineral Indonesia investigations that found out 800 tonnes of bauxite reserved in West Kalimantan in 1974.Geothermal Potency is pretty much eventhough it is not produce high power in West Kalimantan.In 2006,it’s found five point locations by Department of Mining and Energy in West Kalimantan.And it produced electric power about 12,5 MW. This is followed by related institution so that utilization of geothermal energy to generate electric power for alumina smelter