Geothermal Isn't Expensive: The Reservoir Always Has the Final Say Somewhere beneath a volcanic ridge, a drill bit is turning through rock that has not moved in two million years. It costs money every second it turns. And nobody on the surface — not the engineer, not the financier, not the minister who announced the megawatts — knows yet whether that well will produce steam or silence. That single moment explains almost everything people get wrong about geothermal energy. Geothermal is routinely described as expensive, slow, capital-hungry and haunted by drilling risk. Investors are reminded that tens of millions can disappear underground before a single megawatt reaches a grid. All of that is true. But it is not the whole truth. The uncomfortable question the industry keeps avoiding is this: is geothermal expensive, or is the way we develop geothermal making it expensive? Those are two completely different problems. One is geology. The other is us. Why Geothermal Refuses to Be...
Mitsubishi Power to Boost Indonesia’s Geothermal Potential with Darajat Plant Retrofit By : Robert Buluma The Darajat Geothermal power plant by Mitsubishi In a move to strengthen Indonesia's renewable energy sector, Mitsubishi Power, the renowned power solutions division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has announced a major upgrade project for the Darajat Geothermal Power Plant, located in Garut, West Java. This ambitious retrofitting initiative, expected to wrap up in autumn 2026, is set to enhance the plant’s output and improve its operational reliability, propelling Indonesia closer to its sustainability goals. A Game-Changer in Sustainable Energy The Darajat Geothermal Power Plant, operated by Star Energy Geothermal Darajat II (SEG), has been a cornerstone of Indonesia's renewable energy infrastructure. Now, with the planned retrofit of Unit 3, Mitsubishi Power aims to increase the plant's power output from 121 megawatts (MW) to 129 MW, providing cleaner and more...