Bahlil Opens Tender for 100 GW Solar Power Plants, First Phase 30 GW This Year
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has announced that the government will soon open a tender for the construction of solar power plants with a total capacity of 100 gigawatts. As an initial step, the first phase of the tender will focus on a capacity of 30 GW beginning this year.
Bahlil explained that the plan has been discussed with the President Director of PT PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo. The strategic move is part of the government’s commitment to advancing the national energy transition through the utilisation of new and renewable energy.
“This year, we will begin the first phase of the 30 GW development. We have discussed it with the PLN President Director. We will start the tender,” Bahlil said, as reported by Antara on Wednesday (19/8).
Under the 2025–2034 Electricity Supply Business Plan, the government is targeting around 70–75 percent of electricity capacity to come from renewable energy. This is also supported by the development of energy storage systems such as batteries and pumped storage to maintain supply stability.
President Prabowo Subianto has previously emphasised the government’s seriousness in promoting the development of solar power plants up to 100 GW in the coming years. In addition to building solar power plants, the government also plans to retire 13 GW of diesel power plants by 2026.
The utilisation of solar energy is considered highly promising given that Indonesia receives sunlight throughout the year. Besides strengthening energy independence in remote areas, this measure aims to reduce dependence on imported fuel for power generation.
According to calculations by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the large-scale solar power plant development could potentially save electricity production costs by up to Rp73.9 trillion per year. These savings are expected to strengthen the country’s foreign exchange reserves and create significant efficiency in the national energy budget.