Collaboration to Channel Energy to Communities through Solar Power Plant Construction on Sembur Island

The Ministry of Cooperatives (Kemenkop) together with Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (NRE) conducted a monitoring visit for the first phase of construction of the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) Solar Power Plant (PLTS) on Sembur Laut Island, Galang Baru Urban Village, Batam City, Riau Islands, on Friday (19/6). Pertamina NRE Corporate Secretary, Nur Hidayati, confirmed that the progress of the KDKMP PLTS project on Sembur Island has reached 80 per cent. “This renewable energy-based PLTS project, paired with the KDKMP programme, has achieved approximately 80 per cent progress. We express our gratitude for the coordination and support of all parties, especially the Ministry of Cooperatives and the people of Sembur Island who are working to realise this project,” said Nur Hidayati in a written statement on Sunday (21/6). Sembur Island is a small island in the Galang Island cluster, accessible only by sea transport, about one hour from Batam. Until now, the island’s residents have lacked adequate electricity supply and have relied on diesel-fuelled generators with high operational costs. Sembur Island was chosen as the location for this new and renewable energy-based project because it meets several key criteria for KDKMP development, namely having ongoing economic activity and an established KDKMP, but no connection to the electricity grid. She stated that in this first phase, all solar panels have been installed, and the battery system has been successfully shipped and arrived at the project site. The first phase PLTS is built with a capacity of 400 kilo-watt peak (kWp) and supported by a 600 kilo-watt hour (kWh) battery system. “Eventually, the total installed PLTS capacity will be 1 megawatt-peak (MWp) with a 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery,” she explained. Nur further revealed that current work is focused on completing the electricity distribution network, integrating the battery system, and constructing supporting facilities in the form of a cold storage unit with a 5-tonne capacity and an ice maker with a 2-tonne per day capacity, which will later be managed by the local Merah Putih Cooperative. These facilities are targeted to be fully operational in the third quarter of 2026 and will become an important part of creating a productive economic ecosystem based on clean energy on Sembur Island. “We hope the Sembur Island KDKMP PLTS can become an example of how renewable energy not only delivers reliable power but also creates economic added value, opens job opportunities, and improves community welfare through synergy between cooperatives,” concluded Sri. On the same occasion, the Deputy for Cooperative Business Development at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Panel Barus, explained that the project is tangible proof of synergy among various parties in delivering direct benefits to the community. “The construction of the KDKMP PLTS on Sembur Island is a concrete form of inter-agency collaboration in channelling energy to the people. We want to ensure that village communities gain sustainable economic benefits through the management of energy-based productive businesses via cooperatives,” he stated. He also emphasised that the project’s benefits are already being felt by the community through the involvement of local workers in various stages of construction. Once operational, the PLTS will be the main production factor, with electricity prioritised to run the cold storage and ice factory so that fishermen no longer depend on ice supplies from outside the island, can store their catch longer, reduce operational costs, lessen reliance on diesel generators, and improve the quality and selling value of their catch. This project, a collaboration between the Ministry of Cooperatives and PT Pertamina (Persero) through Pertamina NRE, is the first cooperative-based PLTS project in Indonesia. The model developed positions the cooperative as the main manager of energy assets as well as the driver of community economic activities, so that the benefits generated can return to members and village residents.