Indonesia Took Important Steps To Harness Its Solar Energy Potential
If your country lies near the equator, what is the highest energy potential? Yes, solar energy. As our country is located near the equator, we are blessed with abundant solar energy. Yet, its utilization is comparatively low to other energy sources, like coal, and even with other renewable sources, including geothermal and hydro.
Indonesia aims to utilize more renewable energy, including solar energy. To cope with the rising energy demand, our government issued Ministerial Regulation (Permen) Number 49 of 2018, as a legal basis for rooftop PV system users, and through National Movement for One Million Rooftop Solar (GNSSA), by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), to work together to promote the use of solar energy in Indonesia.
The result is significant, the General Director of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation of MEMR, Dadan Kusdiana, announced, “by January 2021, there are 3,152 customers with a total installed capacity of 22,632 Mega Watt peak (MWp)”.
The largest installation was carried out by PT Coca Cola in Cikarang, West Java, which was 7.2 MWp. This installation is even the largest in the Southeast Asia region. Furthermore, there is PLTS Atap Danone Aqua in Klaten (3 MWp), PLTS Roof Refinery unit (3.36 MWp), PLTS Atap Sei Mangkei (2 MWp), PLTS Roof MEMR (859 kWp), PLTS Roof Angkasa Pura II (241 kWp) and PLTS Roof Pertamina gas station (52 kWp). "This calculation does not include household customers whose trend is increasing. Therefore, we are optimistic about this opportunity for solar power," said Dadan.
PT PJB Masdar Solar Energi (PMSE) also plans to build the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant in West Java, as reported by TheJakartaPost. PMSE is a consortium between PT Pembangkit Jawa-Bali Investasi (PJBI) and a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company, Masdar.
“This floating power project is a first for Indonesia and is also a significant step in PJBI’s renewable energy journey”, said president PJBI director Amir Faisal. It is planned 145 MW solar plant is fully operational in November 2022.
Through MEMR coordination with United Nations Development Program (UNDP), under the grant with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), we develop the Accelerating Clean Energy Access to Reduce Inequality (ACCESS) project to construct a solar power plant with 1.2 MWp by the end of 2023.
With these steps, it helps the government to fulfill Paris government COP 21 on 12 December 2015; increase renewable energy mix, increase electrification ratio to 100%, and support SDG Goal no 7.
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Author: Adream Bais Junior, Communication ACCESS Project