Light from the Menoreh Hills: Micro-Hydro Plant Powers Village

Infrastructure development in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, has accelerated rapidly since the early 2000s. Horticultural areas on the south coast, Tanjung Adikarto Port, Yogyakarta International Airport, and the Samudra Raksa Gate have transformed the regency’s landscape. However, in the Menoreh Hills, change has arrived in a different form. In this mountainous region, the transformation is not marked by new roads or buildings, but rather emerges from the flow of the Kalibawang Irrigation channel. Water from the Progo River, channelled through this system, now not only irrigates rice fields but also generates energy via the Kedungrong Micro-Hydro Power Plant (PLTMH). The idea to harness the Kalibawang Irrigation flow as a source of electricity was conceived in 2009. At that time, students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) undertaking a community service programme in Kedungrong Hamlet observed the potential of the water’s height difference to drive a turbine. They installed a turbine that could only produce electricity on a small scale. This simple experiment became the forerunner of the Kedungrong PLTMH. ‘At that time, it was only for street lighting,’ said PLTMH Kedungrong manager Sumberini. The success of the experiment encouraged residents to collaborate with academics and lobby the Yogyakarta Special Region Government through the Public Works, Housing, and Energy and Mineral Resources Agency. These efforts bore fruit when the physical construction of the Kedungrong PLTMH began in early 2012. By November 2012, the plant was operational. The electricity, initially used only for streetlights, now flows to residents’ homes and serves as an energy source for various economic activities in Kedungrong Hamlet. ‘Over time, by 2026, all residents of Padukuhan Kedungrong will be using the PLTMH,’ Sumberini said.