Discovering the Potential of Unconventional Geothermal Systems in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia’s archipelago is known to have great potential geothermal energy resources since its position in the subduction zone. These geological settings led to magmatism activity that was triggering shallow intrusion in the subsurface. Those shallow intrusions act as a heat source in high enthalpy geothermal systems which were the most commonly developed geothermal systems in Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia (GOI) has committed to utilize geothermal energy as one of the national renewable energy mixings. Nonetheless, the resources of these typical conventional systems are limited in recent days. It produces the new opportunity to utilize unconventional technology to extract other unconventional geothermal systems potential. This paper aims to provide unconventional geothermal systems potential distribution in Indonesia referring to geothermal play-based classification that consists of several systems (i.e., hot dry rock, geopressured, hot sedimentary aquifer, supercritical, and hidden/blind systems). The study will involve a comparison of unconventional geothermal systems in Indonesia to several fields worldwide as analog-based on literature study with their current method and technologies. This study also reviews regulations of Indonesia that will support for the future unconventional geothermal system development program. In the end, advantages and challenges will be evaluated to examine the feasibility of these unconventional geothermal system utilization in Indonesia.