Padang Aro, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Deputy Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Rubi Rubiandini said Indonesia has in abundance renewable energy resources but largely left untapped.

Renewable energy resources account only for 5 percent of the country`s energy mix, Rubi said here on Friday.

The reasons include high cost of exploitations and inadequate infrastructure to support development of the resources and to link the production and the market centers, he said.

The government, therefore, continue to rely more on oil and gas and coal to meet the domestic energy demand, he said.

The government will continue to encourage development of renewable energy sources, he said, adding, currently renewable energy no longer serves an alternative energy but has become an important part of energy mix.

The government is set to increase the contribution of renewable energy to 17 percent in 2025.

"We are now developing solar energy, geothermal energy, water energy, biofuel, wind energy and sea wave energy," hes aid.

The country, which lies on the ring of fire, has big reserves of geothermal accounting for 40 percent of the world`s reserves .

"Only 1,341 megawatts have been developed into electricity from the total reserves of 29,215 Megawatts," he said.

He said the government has made a breakthrough in the development of renewable energy such as with the Feed in Tariff (FIT) regulation to develop biomass, garbage and geothermal energy.

FIT in geothermal sector is 10-18.5 US cents per Kwh depending on areas, he said.

"Acceleration is needed to expand development of renewable energy," he said.
(H-ASG/F001)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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