Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 11, 2026 at 10:57 AM

ESDM Ministry safeguards energy facilities against El Nino risks

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Aria Ananda, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry has implemented risk mitigation measures across national energy facilities to counter the impact of extreme dry conditions caused by a strong El Nino.

ESDM Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated in Jakarta on Friday that the extreme weather phenomenon poses significant risks to critical energy infrastructure—highlighting a recent incident near the Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Bintuni Bay, West Papua.

"El Nino affects not just the agricultural sector, but almost all sectors, including energy," Bahlil said.

"At Tangguh, fires from peatlands were coming dangerously close to the storage tank areas. Thankfully, the situation was handled well,” he added.

The Tangguh LNG plant, operated by BP, is a national strategic asset with a production capacity of 11.4 million tons per year following the operation of Train 3, contributing approximately 35 percent of national LNG output.

To tackle the peatland fires near the facility, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) deployed a water-bombing helicopter, conducting 69 water drops totaling 69,000 liters.

While active flames were suppressed by August 28, joint teams continue monitoring the site to prevent reignition from lingering sub-surface embers.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the current El Nino remains in the "very strong" category, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the Nino 3.4 region reaching +2.74 degrees Celsius in late August.

BMKG forecasts that the dry condition may persist until early 2027.

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