Using the volcano's heat

Europe may be in a tizzy over Eyjafjallajokull but Indonesia has launched an ambitious plan to tap the vast power of its volcanoes and become a world leader in geothermal energy, while trimming greenhouse gas emissions. Talk about turning adversity into an advantage!

The sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands stretching from the Indian to the Pacific Oceans contains hundreds of volcanoes, estimated to hold around 40 percent of the world's geothermal energy potential.

So far only a tiny fraction of that potential has been unlocked, so the government is seeking help from private investors, the World Bank and partners like Japan and the United States to exploit the power hidden deep underground.

The government's aim is to add 4,000 megawatts of geothermal capacity from the existing 1,189 megawatts by 2014.

One of the biggest obstacles is the cost. Indonesia currently relies on dirty coal-fired power plants using locally produced coal. A geothermal plant costs about twice as much, and can take many more years in research and development to get online.

But once established, geothermal plants like the one built in Kamojang, Java, in 1982can convert the endless free supplies of volcanic heat into electricity with much lower overheads -- and less pollution -- than coal.