Launch of 100 GW solar power project must mark start of rapid execution

The construction of 100 GW of solar power plants can reduce Indonesia’s dependence, particularly Bali’s, on fossil fuel energy supplies and electricity from outside the island. The Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) has stated that the launch and groundbreaking of the 100 gigawatt (GW) solar power plant project must mark the beginning of a much larger execution phase, as it is an important step towards strengthening energy security.

The success of the 100 GW solar programme is not measured by how many projects are groundbreaking, but by how many gigawatts of solar power can be built, connected to the grid, and reliably generate electricity before 2029, said IESR Chief Executive Officer Fabby Tumiwa. According to him, the construction of 100 GW of solar power can reduce Indonesia’s dependence, particularly Bali’s, on fossil fuel energy supplies and electricity from outside the island.

The combination of solar power and battery energy storage systems (BESS) can also improve the reliability of Bali’s electricity system by providing a local power source as well as flexibility to manage the variability of solar energy. IESR assesses that central government and PLN support through investment in solar power and BESS will strengthen Bali’s efforts to achieve energy independence and net zero emissions faster than the national target.

The biggest challenge now is to turn the President’s political commitment into an implementation machine capable of building tens of gigawatts of solar power every year, he said. IESR emphasised that the 100 GW target in less than four years is highly ambitious and requires innovation in its implementation.

Previously, PT PLN (Persero) President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said Indonesia is undertaking the world’s largest solar power plant project. The largest ongoing solar power project in the world today is in the United Arab Emirates at 5.2 gigawatt-peak (GWp). So the initial phase of 5.3 GWp is already the largest ongoing project in the world, Darmawan said after the Launching and Groundbreaking of the 100 GWp Solar Power Programme in Gilimanuk, Bali.

At the event, the government announced 14 solar power plant projects with a capacity reaching 5.3 GWp. The 14 projects have an investment value of approximately 7.7 billion US dollars, or around Rp135 trillion, with potential state budget savings of Rp4.6 trillion per year.