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A Quiet Revolution
WIND POWER IN LOMBOK

Lombok Times (09/19/2004)
A quite revolution has been occurring through the Lombok hinterland for the past 6 months with hardly anyone being aware of it. No, we are not talking about any emerging homegrown political upheaval, but a revolution driven by natural means....wind power.

The humble "Aussie" windmill has been introduced to 3 impoverished farming communities in the harsh southern plains of Central Lombok where the SE trade winds blow hard during a normal dry season, and surface water is virtually non-existent.

Under a budget controlled by the Central Lombok Mines & Energy Department (whose control happens to include groundwater resources), a local (Montong - based) company, PT. Oasis Supply Indonesia (OSI) provided some field expertise in identifying shallow aquifers by geological and geophysical (electrical receptivity) means and importing and erecting both new and reconditioned 14' diameter Southern Cross brand windmills (any Australian reading this will no doubt associate the name with rural prosperity spanning many decades).

Clearly, the windmill is not the answer to every water-pumping situation.

Wind-shadow areas, both natural and man-made, are common enough and it is not an on-call high-volume pump (although well planned thanks & reservoirs can go a long way to help in this regard). PT OSI believed that the windmills would help to alleviate some of the water supply problems.

One of the more obvious advantages of such an alternative pumping mechanism is its use of free energy -a very important point in the light of recent disclosures on Indonesia's dwindling oil & gas reserves. Modern windmill technology is simple and has been extensively field tested for over 150 years in many arid regions of the world, and remains widely used in both developed and developing countries.

The mill is easily erected and usually requires minimum maintenance; many of the parts can be made locally. Such variables as tower height, wheel diameter, and pump cylinder diameter can easily be calculated or changed for optimal performance in just about every situation involving pumping water from depths of as much as 220m below the surface, or transferring water from shallow sources, such as springs, dams and wells, laterally several thousands of meters.

Windmills can operate at wind speeds as low as 7km/hour, and, if "married" with water/fertilizer-conservative irrigations system, such as the "drip" system currently being employed in certain part6s of East Lombok, substantial areas of land may be productively farmed, depending on the type of crop, during the dry seasons. Finally, if maintained properly, a windmill may remain functional for up to 30years.

So far, results speak for themselves: Each mill has the capability of pumping at least 10.000 liters of water per day without overstressing the aquifer, provided a reasonable breeze blows partly throughout that day. Several farmers have commented favorably on the quality of the water pumped as being far more drinkables than the water that they can get from the shallow sources that they have had to put up with all their lives.

Locals report people traveling from as much as 20km away to sample the 'new' water and fill their containers, as the word has gradually spread.....maybe a revolution in its own right! The government is preparing a budget for five more windmills to be installed by the end of this year, and OSI is scrambling to find a way to interest foreign aid groups in funding similar projects throughout the Nusa Tenggara archipelago. History has shown that any society that ignores the welfare of its food grows does so, at its own peril.