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UK expertise and the energy of Asia

From Indonesia’s first hydrogen vehicles to the best velodrome in Asia, the Asian Games are set to showcase the collaboration between United Kingdom and Indonesian companies

Moazzam Malik (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, August 16, 2018

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UK expertise and the energy of Asia

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rom Indonesia’s first hydrogen vehicles to the best velodrome in Asia, the Asian Games are set to showcase the collaboration between United Kingdom and Indonesian companies.

This weekend, all eyes in Asia will turn to Indonesia as it hosts Asia’s biggest sports event. The Games are an opportunity to highlight Indonesia’s spectacular culture, its progress in infrastructure and development, and its emergence as “the energy of Asia”.

Indonesia and the UK share a love of sport. When Indonesia won the right to host the Asian Games for the second time, they looked to learn from the success of the London 2012 Olympics, English football’s Premier League and Wimbledon tennis.

The Sports MOU signed during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s visit to the UK in April 2016 invited British experts to share knowledge and expertise in delivering successful global sporting events with Indonesia. (For more details contact DITJakarta.Enquiries@fco.gov.uk).

Since then, UK and Indonesian companies have worked in partnership on integral Asian Games 2018 infrastructure including the velodrome and the first hydrogen-powered public transport vehicles in Indonesia.  The Jakarta government has worked with ES Global and Mott Macdonald to build a completely new modern cycling venue.

The world cycling governing body Union Cycliste Internationale has recognized the new Jakarta velodrome as the best in Asia. Not only will this impress visitors from across Asia, it will give Indonesian cyclists a competitive advantage in years to come.  

Accessing the new velodrome has been made easier by the Jakarta Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, connecting the velodrome to Kelapa Gading.

With the help and project management skills of Mott MacDonald working against a very tight schedule, the project will be partially completed to allow passengers to be transported between velodrome and Kelapa Gading.

The first hydrogen-based vehicles in Indonesia will be used at Jakabaring Sports City during the Asian Games. Using hydrogen as a fuel, converted to electricity by a fuel cell to drive electric motors, this cutting-edge technology delivers the zero emission benefit of battery electric vehicles plus the fast charging and long range associated with conventional petrol and diesel engines.

The vehicles will be deployed as part of the Hydrogen Zero Emission Mobility & Education Program for 2018 Asian Games instigated by the South Sumatra government, delivered by UK firm Ecubes Arcola and their partner Serba Dinamik Group.  

To widen the impact, Imperial College London, one of the world’s top 10 universities, will be running an educational tour of hydrogen-based vehicles in schools and universities across major Indonesian cities.

They hope to inspire the next generation of Indonesians to play a leading role in creating sustainable economic growth and low-carbon development.

All major sporting events aim to leave a long-lasting economic and social impact that remains beyond the excitement of the Games. Indonesia is again drawing on UK experience.

For example, Buro Happold, a leading UK engineering firm together with Jakarta Konsultindo is helping the Jakarta government to develop a spatial master plan for the Pulo Mas Jaya area where the Games’ equestrian facility is located.

The master plan is developing options to address economic, social and environmental needs based on transport links, state-of-the-art venues and connectivity with other facilities.

Local people will benefit from improvements including reduced journey times, cuts to air pollution and more green spaces.  

To help support similar initiatives, the UK Government recently allocated over 3 billion pounds in export credit which can be utilized by Indonesian companies and public bodies involved in cementing the legacy of the Asian Games in Indonesia.

As all of Asia looks to Indonesia in the next few weeks, I am delighted that UK and Indonesian companies are working together to make sure the games are a success during the festival of sport, and for a long time after.

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The writer is British ambassador to Indonesia, ASEAN and Timor Leste.

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