USU PR- The Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) organized the Geothermal Goes to Campus event titled "Development and Community Empowerment in Geothermal Development Areas" at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU). The activity took place in the Senate Academic Meeting Room of the GBPA USU on Monday (09/10/2023).

The event was attended by the Director of Geothermal Energy from the Directorate General EBTKE, Harris, S.T., M.T., and two speakers from geothermal companies in North Sumatra, namely Ali Sahid, VP: corporate Stakeholders and Relation of PT. Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power, and Melva Samosir, ER, and CSR Manager of Sarulla Operation Ltd.

Current energy supplies no longer depend on fossil energy, which is increasingly scarce. Indonesia has enormous geothermal potential. Therefore, geothermal is expected to be the main contributor to power in the future, replacing fossil energy.

In his speech, USU Vice-Rector I for Academic, Student Affairs, and Alumni Affairs, Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A. said that the activity had a very important topic to be socialized considering the urgency. Dr. Edy Ikhsan, SH, MA, also noted that this activity allows students to research geothermal potential in Indonesia, especially in North Sumatra. Moreover, there are opportunities for students to play a role in this field.

"Indonesia has a huge potential for geothermal content. It is an opportunity for students to research the potential benefits of renewable energy and how the community views it. North Sumatra has tremendous potential related to this. This is the opportunity for students to enter the company, maybe MSIB, becoming an agent of socialization related to geothermal," said Dr. Edy Ikhsan, SH, MA.

Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., said that this activity can be followed up with various other activities that can be done. He hopes USU can be a strong partner in supporting this geothermal utilization movement.

"We hope that there are follow-ups, maybe collaborative research, and we hope that USU can be a center of excellence to explore this and be a strong partner to support this movement and provide knowledge to the community. We must move for more concrete activities together, ministries, universities, companies, communities, and stakeholders," said Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A.

Director of Geothermal Directorate General of EBTKE of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Harris, S.T., M.T., in his speech, explained that the Geothermal Goes to Campus program aims to combine the needs of the geothermal industry with its human resources. He said support from various parties is needed to develop this energy transition.

"This needs to be supported by various parties. One of the challenges in Indonesia is the limited human resources. For the lampers, it is expected to be able to adjust the learning materials to this need. For students, you can prepare yourself to adjust your competencies. In addition, the program is also expected to encourage campus interest in conducting research in geothermal fields," explained Harris, S.T., M.T.

Furthermore, Harris, S.T., M.T., revealed a lot of confusing information about geothermal development hindering its development. Therefore, the university is expected to be an intermediary to the community by providing actual information.

"Often, people get incorrect information that can trigger rejection. We hope that universities, as institutions trusted by the public, can be part of the news to increase the actual information delivery of geothermal development. We invite everyone to work together to advance geothermal energy in Indonesia," said Harris, S.T., M.T.

Dr. Edy Ikhsan, SH, MA, stated that this is a form of collaboration, and this plan for cooperation will be further clarified through several proposals to support the university's Tri Dharma.

"There are two geothermal companies in North Sumatra that are already running. It turns out that many of our alumni have also worked there. This makes the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, USU, and the two companies collaborate to explore the geothermal aspect. This already involves cooperation with USU, and today is a form of that cooperation. In the future, it will be concretized back into several schemes for developing the university's Tri Dharma," said Rahma Yurliani, S.Psi., M.Psi., the Secretary of USU's Directorate of Student Affairs and Development.

Rahma Yurliani, S.Psi., M.Psi., hoped that students could get involved in this program, which would enhance their practical experience and develop their social skills. "In the future, we hope our fellow students can participate in certified internships to gain additional experience, practice, and direct field exposure. Besides applying their knowledge, they can acquire soft skills and collaborate with professionals in various aspects according to their respective fields of expertise," Rahma Yurliani, S.Psi., M.Psi., added.

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Amri Simatupang - Humas