Diesel Power Plants on Outer Islands to be Replaced with Solar Generation

Jakarta — The government plans to halt operations of diesel-powered power plants and replace them with solar power generation facilities. The programme will target more than 30 locations across various regions of Indonesia.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung stated that the policy forms part of the government’s plan to develop solar power generation capacity of 100 gigawatts. The programme also represents the government’s effort to reduce the use of diesel-fuelled power plants.

“This is part of the plan for 100-gigawatt solar power. So whichever areas are undergoing dieselisation conversion, these are areas still supplied with electricity using diesel that we will convert to solar power,” Yuliot said at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta on Friday (13 March 2026).

He explained that the conversion programme will be prioritised for underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions. Several outer islands have become primary targets of the programme. Some of the regions mentioned include Simeulue Island, Nias, Mentawai, and Enggano. These areas still rely on diesel-based power plants because they have not yet been connected to the main electricity network.

“These other outer islands largely still use diesel. They are in 3T (underdeveloped, frontier, outermost) areas that are not yet connected to the grid, so they still use diesel,” Yuliot explained.

The Directorate General of Electricity together with the Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation has identified several potential locations for the programme. The government has currently designated approximately 30 priority locations for the initial phase of implementation. Most of these locations are in eastern Indonesia.

“This figure already exceeds 30 locations that we have prioritised,” he stated.