Govt identifies 30 locations for solar plants, prioritizes eastern Indonesia

By Calvin Purba

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) has identified 30 priority locations for solar power plant (PLTS) development as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to install 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity nationwide.

Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung said the government will prioritize solar projects in regions that still rely heavily on diesel-fired power plants (PLTD), particularly in so-called 3T areas—underdeveloped, frontier and outermost regions.

“Many of these are 3T areas, such as the outer islands, including Simeulue, Nias, Mentawai and Enggano. Most of them still rely on diesel,” Yuliot said on Friday (March 13).

He said the government will focus solar development in eastern Indonesia, where more than 30 potential sites have already been identified.

“We are prioritizing areas in eastern Indonesia, and we have identified more than 30 locations,” Yuliot said.

Last year, Prabowo instructed his cabinet to roll out one-megawatt (MW) solar power plants in every village, a program officials say will support Indonesia’s energy transition while providing electricity for newly established Red and White Village Cooperatives.

The ministry has begun preparing a grand design for the program to ensure it supports the operations of village cooperatives, including retail outlets, tools and productive equipment across the country.

Read also: Danantara explores solar technology investment with Yingfa Group

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia also highlighted the project’s potential to spur investment and create new opportunities for the domestic battery industry.

“Solar plants typically operate for around four hours during the day, with excess energy stored in batteries for use at night,” Bahlil said, noting the potential for battery-based industries to expand as the village solar program progresses.

Separately, Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia is exploring potential investment partnerships in solar technology development to strengthen the country’s clean energy industry and build a domestic green industrial ecosystem.

Danantara chief executive Rosan Roeslani said he had discussed potential cooperation with Zhang Fayu, chairman of China’s Yingfa Group, on investment in solar cell technology and the development of an integrated green industrial ecosystem in Indonesia.

The discussions focused on expanding solar manufacturing capacity and supporting Indonesia’s transition to clean energy technologies.

Rosan said Danantara and the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming are working to facilitate the potential investment to strengthen domestic industrial capacity while accelerating the country’s energy transition.

Yingfa Group is a Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer specializing in high-efficiency solar cells, particularly N-type TOPCon and xBC technologies. The company ranked as the world’s third-largest specialized manufacturer of N-type TOPCon cells in 2024 and rose to second place globally in early 2025.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak