ACCESS Project Did Joint Inspection to Oversee The Progress of Constructed Solar Power Plants in Southeast Sulawesi
It was a bright weather above the sea when Urip Piyono embarked on the boat to bring him together with personels from ACCESS project, Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), and regional government to the village of Malaringgi in Southeast Sulawesi. Urip is a staff of the Directorate of New Renewable Energy The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Indonesia. Together, the team did joint inspection to observe the infrastructure of the solar power plant built by ACCESS Project in target villages. The way to Malaringgi can only be reached through the sea as it is isolated. The village's isolation has prevented it from accessing electricity for years.
The joint inspection in target villages located in Southeast Sulawesi was done from 1-4 October 2023. It aims to monitor construction progress and prepare for post-solar power plant activities such as commissioning, SLO, and asset handover. Additionally, the team also conducted meetings with local communities to discuss infrastructure site verification, BUMDes activities, and training/certification follow-ups.
The ACCESS project's primary goal is to provide equitable and sustainable access to basic services, enhancing the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. It will achieve this by addressing rural electrification through the construction of solar power plants in 23 locations across four Indonesian provinces (Central Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara). This approach simultaneously promotes clean energy access and addresses energy inequality.
A milestone in Southeast Sulawesi
One of the project milestones achieved is the nearly completion of Solar Power Plants construction in Southeast Sulawesi. From the preparatory stage in May 2023 until now, the civil construction of solar power plant has made progress reaching 80% in this province. The journey leading up to this progress hasn't been without challenges, but collaboration among stakeholders have propelled the construction forward. From the site survey in 2022 to the completion of the Detail Engineering Design (DED), component procurement, custom clearance, and ongoing civil construction, collaboration has been a key to all the progress achieved.
During the inspection, the team discussed with the local people concerning the progress and the future of the solar power plant in the village. The local residents expressed their expectation for the coming of electricity and their hope for the benefits from the solar power plant construction. “We are committed to support the construction process and will observe and accompany the working team in the site to turn this hope into a reality,” said Idul, the local people in Malaringgi Village.
The regional government, more specifically the Energy and Mineral Resource Unit in the Southeast Sulawesi Province is the responsible party to oversee the development of energy sector in the area. The current result exemplified by ACCESS will contribute to the effort of the government to address the electrification in the this province. “We will and need to work collaboratively with every party concerned with electricity issue. The collaboration with ACCESS UNDP team is an effort to provide real benefit of electricity to village people as the locations selected are the ones not included in the Special Allocation Fund (Dana Alokasi Khusus/DAK) proposal to The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in the previous years”, said Andi Aziz, the officer of provincial EMR Southeast Sulawesi during the discussion in the Provincial EMR Office. Andi said that the regional government is ready to work collaboratively to ensure the built solar power plant work well in the future. He emphasised the will to coordinate with relevant party in the village, district and in the ministry level to oversee the operation of the solar power plant.
Overall, the ACCESS project aims to install 1.2 MW off-grid power plants, capable of supplying electricity to approximately 20,000 residents in remote villages across 4 target provinces. While this addresses only a portion of Indonesia's unmet energy needs, the program serves as a model for a rural development strategy and approach. This electrification initiative not only improves the quality of life for rural inhabitants but also highlight an environmentally conscious approach, particularly crucial as the world faces with the impacts of climate change. Despite the annual electricity demand growth of 6.8 percent, approximately 30 million people in the country still lack sufficient access to electricity.
Urip, the National MEMR staff, said during the inspection that with the solar power plant infrastructure nearly complete, local people will soon enjoy lighting day and night. This project aligns with the government's goal of reaching the electrification target. “The MEMR supports the development of local capacity. We will provide assistance for local operators through its network and is open to accommodating any training initiatives initiated by the Regional Government that ACCESS operators can partake in”, he said. The MEMR will coordinate with provincial EMR offices to oversee the built infrastructure. We have programs relevant to PLTS operation that are expected to help ensure its smooth operation and maintenance in the future.
The real homework and challenges are coming
Maintaining a communal solar power plant in the post-construction phase presents a multifaceted challenge. It demands a high level of technical expertise to ensure the efficient operation of the plant. Solar power plants require skilled technicians and engineers who can monitor and troubleshoot the systems, as well as conduct routine maintenance. Other challenges include budget constraints which can be particularly challenging (especially in economically disadvantaged communities), environmental factors (harsh weather conditions, heavy rainfall, hail, or extreme heat), vandalism (theft, disruption, and security measures), and battery health.
“The real challenges are not only during the construction process, more importantly instead, the process when it is operational is the real challenge as we will see how community really manages the power plant,” said Deogho Lee from Korean Institute for Development Strategy (KDS) during the discussion with the inspection team on the field. The post-construction maintenance of communal solar power plants is important to ensure the long-term sustainability and benefits of solar electrification initiatives in remote and underserved areas. “Along with construction and training for the local community, local institutions have been established to ensure that the rural electrification program is sustainable. We work together with relevant parties in the district, provincial, and national level to empower the local institution,” said Verania Andria from UNDP Indonesia.
The ACCESS Project receives financial support from the Korean International Cooperation Agency. Park Soo Young, the Deputy Country Director of KOICA said that KOICA supports the Indonesian government to reach the electricity target. “The solar power plant (PLTS) is intended to serve the basic needs of the community. In the future, it is expected the PLTS will align with utility grid that can be expanded to serve community with larger capacity and support the development”, said her.