ASIATODAY.ID, PURWAKARTA – The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the 192 MWp Cirata Floating Solar photovoltaic (PV) Power Plant, Thursday (9/11/2023) in Purwakarta Regency, West Java.
President Jokowi said this green energy infrastructure is the largest floating solar power plant in Southeast Asia and the third in the world.
“Today is a historic day, because our big dream of building new, renewable energy plants on a large scale can finally be realized. And, we have succeeded in building one of the largest floating solar power plants in Southeast Asia and number three in the world,” said President Jokowi.
The President said that the operation of the floating PLTS could be carried out with the cooperation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, PT PLN Persero, and Masdar from the United Arab Emirates.
The existence of this solar power plant said President Jokowi, will increase the electricity supply which currently has a capacity of 1,000MW.
“In Cirata there is already a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 1,000 MW and now there is a floating solar power plant of 192 MWp. In the future, if maximized it could add approximately 1,000 MWp. “So, later the hydropower can be used as green energy too,” he said.
Furthermore, President Jokowi also encouraged the utilization of all new renewable energy potential in Indonesia. By utilizing currently available technology, President Jokowi is optimistic that Indonesia can overcome the challenges in developing new renewable energy.
“For example, in this solar plant there is also a wind generator. In the process there are weather challenges, but we can overcome them by building a smart grid, so that even though the weather changes the electricity remains stable. We can also overcome the challenge of locating potential new renewable energy far from the center of electricity demand. We can build a solution with a transmission line and then we can channel any potential renewable energy in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi to economic centers,” he said.
National Strategic Project
The Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant Project is a National Strategic Project (PSN) owned by PLN Nusantara Power and is a showcase for accelerating the energy transition in supporting PT PLN (Persero)’s achievement towards Net Zero Emission (NZE) and Green RUPTL.
The solar power plant will be able to contribute to NZE of 245 GWh/Year of Green Energy and 214,000 Tons of CO2 reduction/Year.
With massive capacity for the scale of a solar power plant project, the Cirata floating solar power plant will contribute to adding to the renewable energy mix as a form of the country’s commitment to caring for the environment.
The Cirata Floating solar power plant also helps the community get a greener electricity supply. It even opens up opportunities for the community to participate in the development of green energy, both with Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and carbon trading.
The Cirata Floating solar power plant occupies a reservoir area of 200 hectares, and has a competitive tariff of US$ 5.8 cents/kWh. In its construction, the local community involved approximately 1,400 workers from local communities around the project and MSMEs.
The development of this project is based on joint investment collaboration, bilateral relations, and successful partnerships both G2G and B2B to create a better and greener world by sharing risks.
This project is also supported by leading lenders. The collaboration is carried out with Masdar which is a worldwide renewable company, supported by 3 Reputable Lenders (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Societe Generale, and Standard Chartered Bank). This project also increases Foreign Direct Investment in Indonesia worth US$ 143 million.
Achievement of High Technology Floating PV with innovation in overcoming challenging reservoir depths of 80-100 meters, slopes of 5-20 degrees, variations in reservoir water levels of up to 15 meters, and the use of special designs for anchoring and mooring with muddy reservoir bottoms. (AT Network)
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