Rabu, 11 September 2019

Renewable Energy to Light up The Nation


Indonesia has growing demand for electricity needed at the average of 7.1% from 2009 to 2015[1]. However, there are still many areas in Indonesia that have not got the electricity benefit yet. In contrast, the amount of fossil fuels that are used to produce electricity are going to be depleted by our consuming demand. Exploration and finding rate are not comparable to national consuming rate. Indonesia will only have remain 10 years availability of oil, 31 years of gas and 69 years of coal if we don’t explore new mines and wells[2]. This condition will increase the risk of national energy security because we will be much dependent to other countries.

Indonesia is well known as resourceful country, start from natural resources such as forest products, herbs and spices; to fossil energy resources like coal, oil and gas. Beside those finite energy sources, Indonesia also has abundant renewable energy sources, for example geothermal, hydro, sunlight, wind and sea. Some portion of those renewable energy already extracted and generated to electricity especially for geothermal and hydroelectric.

The advantages of renewable energy utilization are free of fuel cost, long lasting, and environmental friendly. On the other hand, there are also several disadvantages such as inconsistent continuity, lower capacity, higher capital cost and larger space needed which resulted in the narrow growth of national utilization. For instance, Indonesia is estimated to hold approximately 40% of the world’s geothermal reserves[3] but having challenge that many geothermal resources located in distant with load center besides high investment cost[4].

To support United Nations Climate Change Conference COP21 Paris Agreement and government objectives to have renewable energy mixed >23% in 2025[5] we as an energy company have to do an action. Firstly, we have to contribute to increasing renewable energy mix which embodied in Indonesia Power main strategy. We have an objectives stated on the Company’s Long-Term Plan/RJPP to develop new renewable power plant about 883.25 MW in 2017-2024 which means 10.4% of our total planned power plant development will contribute to national energy mix target. We should do more than that. Secondly, we have to start develop off-grid renewable power plant in remote area in addition of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources efforts. The development of off-grid system by considering local energy opportunities will increase national electricity ratio, reinforce human capital skills, encourage people productivity and also increase our image and credibility.


Every efforts to light up Indonesia are worth to do because Indonesian constitution was not an ambitions, but a promises we must fulfill to complement our patriots’ sweat. Renewable energy power plants are great solutions. It can applied on-grid to mainly overcome sustainability and climate challenge and off-grid to levelling electricity in whole Indonesia, from Sabang to Merauke equitably.




[1] Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Handbook of energy economic statistics of Indonesia. 2016.
[2] Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral. Rencana strategis kementerian energi dan sumber daya mineral tahun 2015-2019. 2015.
[3] International Energy Agency. Indonesia 2015-Energy policies beyond IEA countries. 2015.
[4] Pusdatin ESDM. Prakiraan penyediaan dan pemanfaatan energi dengan skenario optimalisasi EBT daerah. 2016.
[5] PP No 79 / 2014 tentang Kebijakan Energi Nasional

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