Residents protest Gunung Ungaran geothermal project as governor says government will not make people suffer

Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi says officials must persuade residents who oppose a planned geothermal project on Mount Ungaran. He also stressed that the government would not make local people suffer.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has already granted state electricity company PLN permission to explore and use geothermal energy in the Gunung Ungaran working area. But the project cannot proceed on that approval alone. Additional requirements remain, including an environmental impact assessment permit and public outreach to nearby communities.

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But the principle is that our government will not make the people suffer.

“The project is still in process,” Luthfi said in Semarang on Sept. 8, 2026. He said local and municipal authorities would lead consultations with PLN, while the provincial government would support the process. The provincial Energy and Mineral Resources Agency will also go to the site to help bridge the sides.

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The local and municipal governments will carry out outreach with PLN. We will back them up.

Opposition has formed around the scale and potential impact of the plan. The exploration area would cover almost 30,000 hectares, with drilling points reaching depths of around 2,000 meters. More than 8,800 people had signed a petition against the project on Change.org by Tuesday, with the count recorded at 8,855.

The petition was launched on Aug. 27 by Heru P, who described himself as a resident concerned about the environment, water sources and Mount Ungaran’s future. “Mount Ungaran is a source of life,” he said. He added that its water supports daily needs, farming and communities living on the slopes and in surrounding areas, and said residents therefore opposed the planned geothermal drilling.

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Mount Ungaran is a source of life. Its water is needed for daily needs, agriculture and the lives of people living on the slopes and in the surrounding areas.