SLEMAN - Internal Basic Research Grant Recipient Team, Research Institutions and Community Services (LPPM)  UPN "Veterans" Yogyakarta, chaired by M.Th. Kristiati. EA, ST, MT together with laboratory team, Bambang Widiyatmoko, ST, Hendri Tri Satantio, .ST, as well as two students, Yusril Ihza Wijaya and Nyimas, visited Geodipa Dieng Geothermal Field, Wednesday (08/14/2019). Ayu as HRD and Ir. Suparwanto (HSE) accepted  the group arrival and took them to the fieldof the research.

This visit was the first part of a research activity on the geothermal energy in the Dieng Geothermal Field. According to Law No. 27 of 2003, geothermal energy is a source of heat energy contained in hot water, water vapor, and rocks along with the associated minerals and other gases that are all genetically inseparable in a Geothermal system and the mining processes are required to utilize them. The direct use of geothermal energy is the construction of geothermal power plants or PLTPs.

At present, the geothermal power plants (PLTP) are the mainstay of renewable energy and energy conservation. According to the Director General of EBTKE, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (KESDM), the installed capacity of the PLTP has now reached 1,924.5 Megawatts in the first three months of 2018 from the target of 2,058.5 Megawatts. Because of this contribution to the electricity needs of the community, the geothermal energy is important to consider.

PT. Geo Dipa Energi (Persero) has 47 bore wells, 27 wells south of Sikidang Crater and 20 wells north of Sikidang Crater, near Sileri Crater. Of the 47 wells, only 8 wells are used as the production wells and 2 wells as the injection wells. Meanwhile, the rest are still experiencing problems related to the silica deposits which are quite high.

The formation of scale in geothermal production is a much unexpected problem, because it can cause a pipe deadlock, disruption of fluid flow, pressure disruption, not achieving the agreed quality of steam and the problem of disruption in the turbine which can cause the turbine to die. Therefore, this problem is a priority to be resolved, especially in the reservoir of geothermal water domination such as Dieng Geothermal Field. The most effective way to handle scale problems is to prevent them to occur. Therefore, the research on the potential scale formation is needed in geothermal field operations (MTH / TM).