Cerro Prieto is the oldest and largest Mexican geothermal field in operation and its first power units were commissioned in 1973.

The Cerro Prieto geothermal field is located in the alluvial plain of the Mexican Valley, approximately 30 km south of the border between Mexico and the United States.

Works assigned to ELC consisted of the Owner’s Engineering services including Feasibility Study, Field Evaluation of Unit II, Contract Design of Units II and III.

In 1982, Unocal Geothermal Indonesia undertook studies in the area with three exploratory wells, which then produced steam reaching temperatures between260-279oC.

The viability of the Gunung Salak field for power generation was confirmed, and plans were put in place to build a power plant. The first three 55MW units came into operation in 1994.

Project location is the geothermal field of Salak - Java Island and located about 40 km far from the city of Bogor and approx. 80 km from the capital city of Jakarta - Indonesia.

The geothermal reservoir is located close to the most recent eruptive center: its size and the production characteristic of the wells (one of which having a capacity of 30 MW) allowed to calculate a proved potential of 130 MW, while the expected total capacity of the field might be as much as 500 MW.

Accordingly, the first 2x55 MW power plant has been designed in such a way as to permit the installation of additional units in the same site.

The services assigned to ELC included basic studies, preliminary design, definition of the conceptual model of the field and evaluation of its potential by means of mathematical models, feasibility study, environmental study, risk analysis, cost analysis and economical appraisal, assistance to bidding and contract award.