Geothermal Prospects in Lahendong Geothermal Field of the Tomohon – Minahasa Volcanic Terrain (TMVT), North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

The Tomohon – Minahasa Volcanic Terrain, North Sulawesi is situated at the elevation range of about 550 to 1800 m asl. It hosts the productive Lahendong Geothermal Field that currently has a total installed capacity 120 MWe, and supplies electricity to North Sulawesi and Gorontalo Provinces. Our research area is located about 30 km south of Manado, the capital city of the North Sulawesi Province. It covers the Lahendong and Tompaso prospects which are spatially associated with the Lake Tondano, and the active volcanoes. The volcanic landforms, and the types and distributions of thermal manifestations give hints of the occurrence of both typical high-relief and low-relief volcanic geothermal systems. Our study which is mainly based on geology, distinguishes different characters of the systems within the Lahendong Geothermal Field. This finding can be important input for building the strategy to optimize the development of its geothermal potential.