JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) - President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (April 5) inaugurated a number of renewable projects in eastern Indonesia, which will enable those people in remote areas enjoy electricity. These renewable projects, located in Maluku and Papua, comprise of solar and hydropower plants.
Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Sudirman Said said that the inauguration of the renewable energy infrastructure projects in Morotai Island, Maluku and other places in eastern Indonesia is a “symbol of development” in the outer islands.
There are eight renewable energy projects that were inaugurated by the President, as follows:
(1) Hybrid solar power plant (PLTS) with capacity of 350 kW in Wawama village, South Morotai, North Maluku. The solar power plant will support the diesel power plant in Daruba which has been serving the electrical needs of the people in the island of Morotai. There are 12,123 households in Morotai, however, at least 3,917 households do not have access to electricity.
(2) Hybrid PLTS with capacity of 100 kw in Adaut Village, Selaru, Maluku province. The solar power plant is expected to stimulate the economy in communities in the village Adaut selaru, West Southeast Maluku.
(3) Hybrid PLTS with capacity of 250 kw in Tutukembong Village, District Nirunmas, Maluku Province.
(4) Hybrid PLTS with capacity 100 kw in Bomaki Village, District of South Tanimbar Island, Maluku.
(5) PLTS with capacity of 15 kw in Harapan Jaya village, South Misool District, West Papua. This solar power can provide electricity for 92 homes.
(6) Hydropower plant with capacity of 280 kw in the Temel village, Ayamaru Jaya District, West Papua. The hydropwer plant can provide electricity to 124 connections, consisting of 114 houses and 8 public facilities, including health centers, schools, churches, office district and village offices.
(7) Hybrid PLTS with capacity of 100 kw in Waropko Village, District of Waropko, Papua. The solar power plant which was built in the border areas of Indonesia with Papua New Guinea aims to support diesel power plant built by PLN.
(8) Hybrid PLTS with capcity of 100 kw in Kampung Sota village, District of Sota, Papua. The solar power plant is also built at the border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Together with diesel power plant built by PLN, this solar power plant can provide electricity for 24 hours to 358 homes.
All the renewable energy infrastructure will generate power of 1,295 kW. The solar panels were developed domestically.
In 2015, the energy ministry built renewable energy power plants with capacity 10.7 MW in 174 locations. In 2016, the minister plans to build more renewable energy projects in 131 locations with a capacity of approximately 31 MW. The capacity is not that large, however, the power plants benefit the communities in remote areas.
The Indonesian government is developing the 35,000 MW of power plants in five years. Around 25 percent of these or 8,800 MW will come from renewable energies. Of this 8,800 MW capacity, solar energy will reach 4,000 MW; bio energy, including waste energy, amounting to 1.000 MW; geothermal energy 1.500 MW; hydropower 1.800 MW; and 500 MW wind energy. (*)