Image Credits - PV Magazine
Indonesia marked a significant stride towards a more environmentally friendly future on Thursday with the inauguration of a floating solar farm, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. The Cirata floating solar farm, constructed on a 200-hectare reservoir in West Java, approximately 130 kilometers away from Jakarta, is anticipated to produce sufficient electricity to meet the needs of 50,000 households.
This endeavor, a joint effort involving Indonesia’s state-owned electricity firm, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), and the renewable energy company Masdar based in Abu Dhabi, was accomplished over three years and came with an estimated price tag of approximately USD 108 million. ( 1.7 trillion rupiah)
President Joko Widodo expressed his enthusiasm during his speech commemorating the event, stating that it is a historical day because their big dream to build a renewable energy plant on a big scale is finally achieved. He further revealed that they have managed to build the largest floating solar farm in Southeast Asia and the third biggest in the world.
The solar power infrastructure is constructed on the Cirata reservoir, located 108 kilometers (67.11 miles) to the southeast of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. An associated hydropower plant at the dam boasts an installed capacity of approximately 1,008 MW. Regulations allow for the utilization of up to 20% of the reservoir’s area for the solar plant, and there have been ongoing discussions with Mubadala regarding the next phase of expansion.
In September 2023, an agreement was reached between Masdar and PLN Nusantara Power to further extend the project with an additional 500MW in Phase II.
Indonesia’s goal is to reach a state of net-zero emissions by the year 2060. PLN’s objective is to develop as much as 32GW of renewable energy initiatives and make investments in a transmission infrastructure capable of connecting to clean energy sources.
This step is in alignment with the company’s strategy to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and expedite the adoption of renewable energy.
The endeavor, a collaboration between Indonesia’s national electricity corporation and a renewable energy firm, was accomplished over three years.