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PLN to take over solar panels, mini-hydropower plant projects
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) inspects the Daruba solar photovoltaic power plant in Juanga village, South Morotai, Maluku in January, 2017. (Antara/Yudhi Mahatma)
T
he government has mandated state electricity firm PLN to take over the responsibility of developing communal solar panels and mini-hydropower plants in remote regions across the country starting in 2018.
Previously, the development of such facilities was overseen by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s directorate general of energy conservation and renewable energy.
“PLN will be the one that will develop the communal solar panels and mini-hydropower plants, whether on-grid or off-grid, in isolated regions, including in border areas, by using its own budget,” the ministry’s energy conservation and renewable energy director general Rida Mulyana said recently.
Rida said his directorate general would focus on installing solar-powered energy saving lamps (LTSHE) this year in 175,782 households across 15 provinces that had yet to be connected with electricity with a cost of around Rp 677 billion.
Throughout 2017, the directorate general already installed such lamps in 80,332 households across five provinces.
The House of Representatives has agreed to allocate Rp 1.7 trillion from the state budget for the directorate general in 2018, up from only Rp 1.29 trillion in the 2017 revised state budget.
Besides for the LTSHE, the allocated funds will be used for installing solar-powered street lights, revitalizing 24 damaged renewable power plants, developing six communal biogas power plants, building two mini-hydropower plants in Papua and constructing solar panels at military border posts and volcano observation posts. (bbn)
