How one of NZ’s biggest aid projects kickstarted Indonesia’s green energy revolution

Drone shot of Kamojang – one of the five geothermal power plant units operating at Kamojang in West Java, Indonesia. (Image: Supplied)

Michael Neilson

Fri, 21 Feb 2025

Speak to an Indonesian politician about New Zealand, and it won’t be rugby, sheep or milk powder but geothermal power they want to talk about. This connection stems from one of NZ’s largest aid projects: partnering to build Indonesia’s first geothermal power plant, Kamojang, which opened in 1983. That investment – over $400 million in 2025 value – has grown into a focal point of diplomatic and economic relations with one of the world’s most populous nations. It also paved the way for NZ compani...

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