Investment in renewable energy reaches $1.17b
Wednesday, September 30 2015 - 02:10 AM WIB
Investment in the new and renewable energy reached US$1.17 billion this year through August, 26 percent of the annual target of $4.48 billion, the directorate general of new renewable energy and energy efficiency (EBTKE) said on Tuesday.
EBTKE Director General Rida Mulyana said he is optimistic that the investment figures would improve for the rest of the year.
?We are not satisfied with the figures. We?ll continue to achieve better figures despite the continued economic slowdown,? he said.
Rida said various measures have been adopted by the ministry of energy and mineral resources to attract investors to invest in the energy sector, particularly in the new and renewable energy, including by streamlining licensing procedures and issuing new investment-friendly regulations.
Especially For new and renewable energy, the government will issue several ministerial regulations, including ministerial regulations on feed-in tariff for wind power, rooftop solar power, bioenergy such as biogas, biomass and city waste; two governmental regulations implementing the geothermal law related to direct utilization of geothermal energy and production bonus.
?The ball is now at the Ministry of Finance. They are now in finalization stage. God willing, all will be completed this year,? he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said said the achievements made in the new and renewable sector as of September include the completion of the tender of two geothermal working areas, the increase in the installment capacity of new and renewable energy.
?The installed capacity of geothermal power now reaches 1,438 MW, bioenergy 1,740 MW, hydropower 5,250 MW, solar power 71 MW, wind and hybrid power 4 MW, while realized utilization of biofuel has reached 0.39 million kiloliters and 45,707 households now receive power generated using new and renewable energy,? the minister said, adding the government targets the portion of new and renewable energy will be bigger than that of fossil energy in the national energy mix in ten years.
Under the 2014 National Energy Policy, the portion of new and renewable energy in the energy mix is targeted to reach 23 percent.
Editing by Johannes Simbolon