Govt plans massive village-level solar program targeting up to 100 GW

The government is preparing to develop a large-scale solar power program targeting rural areas, with a total capacity goal of up to 100 gigawatts (GW), according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.

The initiative is part of the government’s strategy to accelerate the country’s energy transition. Under the plan, each village would host a solar power plant with a capacity ranging from 1 to 1.5 GW, Bahlil said.

“We’re talking about accelerating the energy transition. We aim to build solar panels with a capacity of 1 to 1.5 gigawatts per village. In total, we plan to build between 80 and 100 gigawatts,” Bahlil told reporters at the State Palace on Monday (Sept 15), as quoted by cnbcindonesia.com.

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However, Bahlil noted that achieving the 100 GW target would require foreign investment, given the limited domestic manufacturing capacity for solar panels, which currently stands at only 5 GW per year.

“We will definitely need foreign investors because 100 gigawatts is a substantial figure,” he said.

The government will seek international investors willing to support the project in collaboration with local businesses and state-owned enterprises, including electricity utility PLN.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak