Continuing its superior performance in environmental and social impact management, PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Tbk (PGE) (IDX: PGEO) has again won the PROPER Gold award for two of its operating areas, namely the Kamojang and Ulubelu Areas. This award is given in recognition of environmental performance that goes beyond compliance and contribution to sustainable social welfare. This PROPER Gold award is the 14th consecutive award for Kamojang and the 3rd for Ulubelu.
PGE President Director, Julfi Hadi, said, "This PROPER Gold Award is real evidence of the company's efforts in implementing sustainability principles throughout the company's operations. Through innovation and community empowerment, we want to ensure that our operations not only produce clean energy, but also provide real benefits to the environment and surrounding communities," he said.
As one of PGE's main operating areas, the Kamojang Area has been operating since 1983 with a total installed capacity of 235 MW or capable of lighting around 260,000 homes. The success in maintaining PROPER Gold is inseparable from the various innovations implemented by Area Kamojang in its operational area, namely the GEMAH KARSA (Geothermal Empowerment for Maximizing Agriculture through Kamojang Responsible and Sustainable Farming) program. This program is run through three interrelated pillars, namely fertilization, seeding, and irrigation to overcome the obstacles to fertilizer access for farmers through the management of household waste into organic fertilizer, the seeding process which is constrained by weather and pest uncertainty, to the lack of access to clean water for community and agricultural needs.
The GEMAH KARSA program aims to optimize geothermal energy for the agricultural sector in a responsible and sustainable manner, helping farmers to utilize geothermal resources efficiently to increase their agricultural yields. To date, 2,647 beneficiaries from various vulnerable groups including farmers, the elderly, and housewives have felt the real benefits of this program such as access to clean water, access to work, access to health facilities, and support for organic farming.
Meanwhile, for the Ulubelu Area with an installed capacity of 220 MW that supplies around 25% of the electricity needs in Lampung Province, the PROPER Gold award was achieved thanks to a series of sustainability programs that have a broad impact. The flagship program ELOC BESTARI (Empowering Local Communities-based Environmental Stewardship Through Social Forestry) which is carried out in the Ulubelu operational area is a forest rehabilitation effort that involves local communities in sustainable social forest management, reducing economic dependence on activities that risk damaging the environment such as forest encroachment, and improving community welfare through the cultivation of forest resources such as coffee and honey.
The ELOC BESTARI program focuses on diversifying community income sources to support sustainable forest management through direct-use geothermal. One of the innovations of this program is Melon Geothermal, a creative idea designed to utilize geothermal potential, supported by knowledge transfer in accordance with the company's core competencies. This program has benefited 1,362 direct recipients, consisting of 112 forest farm laborers, 787 temporarily unemployed coffee farmers, 81 unemployed youth, 348 elderly people, 23 women in vulnerable groups, and 11 underprivileged families.
Not only Kamojang and Ulubelu, two other PGE operating areas, Lahendong and Karaha, also succeeded in obtaining the PROPER award for the Green category. This achievement reflects PGE's efforts in preserving the environment through various innovative programs throughout the company's operating areas.
PGE's success in achieving the Gold and Green PROPER further strengthens its position as a leader in the geothermal industry and a world-class green energy company. Going forward, PGE will continue to develop sustainable innovations and enhance strategic partnerships in an effort to achieve its vision as a world-class clean energy industry leader.
"For PGE, sustainability is not just a target, but a core principle that we implement in every line of business. We are committed to continuing to innovate in utilizing geothermal energy responsibly, as well as strengthening synergy with stakeholders to support Indonesia's energy self-sufficiency target. In line with the Government's Asta Cita in building energy and economic independence, we ensure that every step we take not only benefits the environment, but also contributes to improving the quality of life of the community through economic empowerment and strengthening their capacity," concluded Julfi Hadi.
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