Indonesia plans force majeure status for Sarulla geothermal plant
The government aims to enable additional investment to raise the North Sumatra plant’s capacity from about 250 MW to 1,100 MW.
Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry plans to declare force majeure for the Sarulla geothermal power project in North Sumatra, providing a basis for revised investment calculations. Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia is expected to announce the status soon, Deputy Minister Yuliot Tanjung said.
Speaking in Jakarta on 13 November 2026, Yuliot said the government and relevant parties had reached an agreement following a study. He described the proposed designation as part of efforts to improve electricity reliability in Sumatra and make room for additional investment. The government wants to increase Sarulla’s capacity to its maximum of 1,100 MW from about 250 MW currently.
A landslide in 2019 reduced the plant’s output. Its original installed capacity was 330 MW, while capacity following repairs stands at about 250 MW, Yuliot said.
According to Sarulla’s official website, the project is operated by Sarulla Operations Ltd, a consortium comprising INPEX Corporation, Ormat International Inc., ITOCHU Corporation, Medco Power and Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. Electricity from the plant is sold to Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) under a 30-year arrangement. Sarulla has three units, each originally rated at 110 MW: two began operating in 2017 and the third in 2018.
