KLH/BPLH KELANA Program Invites 11 Students to Explore Energy Transition at Bandung Hydroelectric Plant
The commitment of the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Management Agency (KLUS/BPLH) to nurturing an environmentally conscious younger generation was demonstrated through the 4th episode of the ‘Kenali Lingkungan Bareng Anak Muda’ (KELANA) programme in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday (1/9), coinciding with the momentum of World Lake Day 2026.
Collaborating with PLN Indonesia Power, KLH/BPLH brought 11 selected high school students from across the Indonesian archipelago, alongside Puteri Indonesia Lingkungan 2026, Victoria Titiasari Kosasieputri, to observe firsthand the practices of water resource preservation, environmental management, and the clean energy transition.
The inaugural visit focused on the Bengkok Hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA). As a historic installation that has supplied electricity since 1923, the facility utilises the flow of the Cikapundung River as its primary source.
During the visit, participants were provided with an educational experience that transformed classroom theories into striking visual realities.
The Team Leader of PLTA Bengkok, Hamzah Wildan Muharam, warmly welcomed this strategic initiative by KLH/BPLH. He explained how the corporation maintains the ecosystem balance around its operational area, which has spanned over a century.
“For the environmental management we implement at PLTA Bengkok, particularly regarding the water we take from the Cikapundung River, we perform waste cleaning before it is used for power generation. The collected waste is then distributed to local waste disposal sites,” said Hamzah.
In addition to maintaining the cleanliness of the river basin, PLTA Bengkok also actively conducts corporate sustainability programmes, such as periodic tree planting.
Hamzah noted that the KELANA programme is a visionary step by KLH/BPLH that is highly beneficial for the students’ futures, both for expanding ecological insights and enriching their academic portfolios.
“This is a great programme from KLH, as it can broaden the horizons of our peers, especially since they are still at the high school level and this can serve as an additional portfolio to help determine their future direction, particularly when pursuing higher education,” Hambar stated.
Similarly, Puteri Indonesia Lingkungan 2026, Victoria Titiasari Kosasieputri, appreciated the concrete steps taken by KLH/BPLH to broaden the perspectives of the youth, noting that several participants were visiting areas outside their home regions for the first time.
“On the first day, we visited a hydroelectric power plant in Bandung, West Java, and it was certainly exciting because we could see equipment that we usually only see in textbooks, but now we are seeing the turbines and generators directly, alongside high school students from all over Indonesia,” Victoria shared.
For the KELANA participants, the visit answered various questions regarding the process of natural energy conversion. A representative from SMAN 2 Purworejo, Najwa Aisyah Raihanah, expressed her admiration for learning directly about the process of distributing eco-friendly energy.
“Honestly, overall this is very exciting because I am truly learning how water can be turned into electricity that is distributed to people’s homes. Previously, I used to wonder, if there is a dam, how does that water suddenly become electricity in someone’s house? Finally, many of those questions have been answered here,” said Najwa.
Through the 4th episode of the KELANA programme, KLH/BPLH hopes that students will understand the importance of water conservation and energy transition, enabling them to grow into agents of change to safeguard Indonesia’s future towards green and equitable sustainable development.