Mount Halimun Salak National Park Biodiversity Conservation
The conservation of the critically endangered Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) and other priority species is managed through a comprehensive strategy in the Mount Halimun Salak National Park. This vital landscape is a crucial sanctuary for three key conservation species: the Javan leopard, the Javan gibbon (owa jawa), and the Javan hawk-eagle.
Barito Renewables, through its subsidiary Star Energy Geothermal Salak, actively supports these conservation efforts. The company is the first to hold a geothermal environmental services utilization permit in a conservation area in Indonesia.
Impact
as of December 2024
The core of the protection strategy is the Garda Konservasi initiative, a joint security patrol team established in 2018. This team is composed of personnel from the Indonesian National Police (POLRI), the Indonesian Army (TNI), the TNGHS forest police, and Star Energy Geothermal Salak’s security unit.
Their shared mandate is to protect two national assets simultaneously: the power generation facilities (classified as a National Vital Object) and the National Park’s biodiversity. This synergy aims to deter and prevent illegal activities, such as logging, gold mining, and poaching.
The patrols and the high-security status of the geothermal area have created a relatively undisturbed “sanctuary,” contributing to a high Javan leopard occupancy rate within the concession.
Star Energy Geothermal Salak employs innovative design and technology to ensure its energy production coexists with nature. For instance, to minimize forest clearing and habitat fragmentation, the company utilizes directional drilling below ground and constructs multi-level pipelines above ground.
These pipes are intentionally raised to a minimum height of 1.2 meters to allow Javan leopards and other terrestrial mammals to move freely beneath them, maintaining crucial wildlife corridors.
This commitment to low impact is also reflected in the Eye on the Forest program, which uses camera traps to continuously monitor the leopard, its prey, and other wildlife, providing essential data for preservation efforts.
Key Biodiversity Conservation Programs
Garda Konservasi
Joint patrols involving multiple authorities and company security to protect the park and critical assets.
Eco Innovation
Implementation of compact development strategies, directional drilling, and multi-level piping to minimize the environmental footprint and preserve wildlife pathways.
Eye on the Forest
Continuous wildlife monitoring using camera traps to collect data on the Javan leopard and other species within the operational area.
Eco Artificial Bridge
Construction of crossing areas to facilitate the safe traversal of arboreal (tree-dwelling) wildlife like gibbons, surilis, and langurs.
Green Corridor Initiative
A program focused on restoring and preserving the forest corridor connecting Mount Halimun and Mount Salak through habitat restoration and community empowerment.
Satellite imagery shows that there are no noticeable changes in forest greenery surrounding Salak geothermal power plant operations.
