Taking a break at the Wayan Windu geothermal power plant.

GE Energy Financial Services announced a USD 50 million loan to the biggest Indonesian geothermal power producer for the 220 MW Wayang Windu power plant, about 200 km south of Jakarta. This represents the first geothermal power investment outside the US for GE.

The loan was made to Star Energy's subsidiary in the country. The company just completed a turbine and steam feed project developed to double the plant's power output. Further expansions are planned in the future in order to provide power for the needs of Java, Madura and Bali.

GE Energy Financial Services has two strategic themes – the rise of Indonesia as an energy producer, and the growth of the ecomagination renewable energy portfolio.

The Wayang Windu power plant taps into the naturally occuring pockets of steam and hot water deep underground, to push the steam into the turbine which power electrical generators. Upon exit, the cooled down water is reinjected into the underground pockets, repeating the heating cycle. Indonesia is estimated to have one of the biggest geothermal energy potential in the world, with more than 27 GW of potential capacity, but so far only about 5% of this potential has been harnessed. The government plans to tap about 9.5 GW of this potential by 2025, which will account for about 6% of the country's total power consumption.