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Renewable power plant projects continue despite pandemic
The two plants will be the Energy Ministry’s big guns in the struggle to meet Indonesia’s clean energy commitments.
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he development of West Java’s Cirata solar power plant and North Kalimantan’s Kayan hydropower plant is moving forward despite the ongoing pandemic. The two plants are nearing the construction phase, bringing Indonesia closer to a boost in its green energy capacity.
Cirata is currently preparing its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) plans, the last phase before beginning construction, said Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry renewables director Harris on Tuesday.
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The 145 megawatt (MW) floating solar plant, backed by Abu Dhabi-based energy company Masdar, will be the largest solar power plant in Indonesia. The plant has nearly ten times the capacity of Indonesia’s current largest solar plant, the 15 MW Likupang plant in North Sulawesi.
“We hope the EPC can be done by 2020 so that construction begins by 2021, and then by early 2022, it can begin commercial operations,” Harris told reporters at a briefing.
Meanwhile, the 9,000 MW Kayan plant, being developed by PT Kayan Hydro Energy (KHE), is awaiting approval from the Reservoir Safety Commission to begin construction on the first phase of its 900 MW facility.
The commission belongs to the Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Ministry.
“They’ve spent around Rp 2 trillion (US$137.53 million) to speed up the project. So they’re really serious,” said North Kalimantan Governor Irianto Lambrie of KHE on Saturday, as quoted by Tempo.co.
Harris said KHE had secured deals to power the Sangkulirang industrial area in East Kalimantan, some 200 kilometers away from the plant’s site.
“This plant has seen better progress than the others,” he noted.
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He cited PT Kayan Hydropower Nusantara (KHN), which was developing another hydropower plant in Kalimantan. The company is still trying to secure an International Industrial Area and Seaport (KIPI) as a customer.
Once completed, the former Kayan plant will be Indonesia’s largest hydropower facility and is slated to power a number of industrial areas and seaports within coal-rich Kalimantan.
The two projects are the Energy Ministry’s big guns in the struggle to meet Indonesia’s clean energy commitments. Official figures show that the country ended last year with a 9.15 percent renewable energy mix. Indonesia has committed to achieve 23 percent renewable energy by 2025.
