9-11-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesia marked a historic milestone on Thursday with the inauguration of a $100 million floating solar farm, the largest in South-East Asia, as the nation intensifies its commitment to transitioning to green and renewable energy sources.
The Cirata floating solar farm, constructed on a 200-hectare reservoir in West Java, approximately 130 kilometers from the capital city, Jakarta, is expected to generate sufficient electricity to power 50,000 households.
President Joko Widodo expressed his elation during the inauguration, stating, “Today is a historical day because our long-cherished dream of establishing a large-scale renewable energy plant has finally become a reality.”
He proudly announced, “We have successfully built the largest floating solar farm in South-East Asia and the third largest globally.”
This ambitious project was realized through a collaboration between Indonesia’s national electricity company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), and Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy firm Masdar. The initiative took three years to complete and carried an estimated cost of $100 million. The project received funding from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Societe Generale, and Standard Chartered.
Set amidst a lush and verdant landscape, surrounded by rice fields, the solar farm comprises 340,000 solar panels. With a peak capacity of 192 megawatts (MWp), it currently provides electricity to meet the needs of the Cirata region.
President Widodo revealed plans for expansion, aiming for a 500 MWp capacity, with PLN suggesting the possibility of reaching 1,000 MWp in the future.
Indonesia’s government has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060, and it is also striving to attain net-zero emissions in the power sector by 2050 as part of its $20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership plan.
Under this initiative, Jakarta has committed to reducing carbon emissions from the power sector to a maximum of 250 million tonnes by 2030, a reduction from the previous cap of 290 million tonnes.
“We hope there will be more renewable energy projects in our country, such as solar, hydropower, geothermal, and wind,” President Widodo remarked.
However, solar and wind power currently account for less than 1% of Indonesia’s energy mix, as the nation’s largest economy remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels for electricity generation.
Indonesia has set a target of expanding renewable energy to represent 23% of its energy mix by 2025, although President Widodo acknowledged that this goal might be challenging to achieve due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country has pledged to halt the construction of new coal-fired power plants, yet it has proceeded with existing plans, provoking protests from activists.
Indonesia is also positioning itself as a key player in the electric vehicle market, given its status as the world’s largest producer of nickel, a vital component of lithium-ion batteries. However, some industrial parks hosting energy-intensive nickel smelters are powered by coal, raising concerns among environmentalists.
Environmentalists have welcomed the Cirata floating solar farm project but have emphasized the importance of local participation in the construction and management of such initiatives.
“Developing floating solar farms on vacant land or reservoirs should be the primary driver of Indonesia’s energy transition,” stated Didit Haryo Wicaksono, a campaigner from Greenpeace Indonesia.
