Minister breaks ground on several small-scale power projects
Monday, April 7 2014 - 11:32 AM WIB
The projects include a solar power plant project with a capacity of 1 MW on grid in Samalewa, Pangkajene regency, South Sulawesi; a solar power plant project with a capacity of 15 kWp off grid in Tianyar Barat, Karangasem regency, Bali; a microhydro power plant project with a capacity of 35 kWp in Timor Tengah Selatan regency, East Nusa Tenggara. These projects were financed using the 2013 state budget, the ministry said in a statement.
Using the 2013 state budget, the ministry has developed 11 microhydro power plants across the country with a combined capacity of 1,301 MWp, able to supply power to 2,345 families. Besides, several solar power plants have been built across the country with a total capacity of 5,275 MWp, able to provide electricity to 17,246 families. Some of the solar power plants have been connected to the power grid of state owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN ), including a 1-MW solar power plant in Pangkajene and a 1-MW solar power plant in Bangka, Bangka Belitung Archipelago province.
During the event, the minister also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Director General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Ridha Mulyana and Bali?s Bangli Regent I Made Gianyar to develop a renewable energy zone in the regency. The MOU aims to turn Bangli into a center of renewable energy in the country.
Besides, the minister also witnessed the signing of an MOU between PT Charta Putra Indonesia (CPI) with PLN on the development of a biomass power project in Bangklet hamlet, Kayubihi village, Bangli district, Bangli regency. Jero also symbolically broke ground for the project. The MOU is a follow-up to the MOU signed by CPI with the Bangli regency back in May 2013.
In the beginning, CPI will develop a biomass power plant pilot project together with American engineering firm General Electric (GE) with an installed capacity of 400 kW, using bamboo as fuel. The investment for the project is estimated at Rp 10 billion. It will be build close to the 1 MW solar plant which has been built using the 2012 state budget. The biomass power plant is expected to operate starting in December this year, selling its power to PLN at the price of Rp 975/kWh, which is the selling price level for biomass power as stipulated in the Ministry of Energy Mineral Resources Regulation No 04/2012.
CPI and GE have deliberately chosen bamboo as fuel for the biomass power plant because bamboo is available in abundance in Bangli, growing in total areas of 6,034.80 ha. The development of the biomass power plant is thus expected to help drive the welfare growth of the people living in the area.
The ministry said all the above-mentioned projects are part of the efforts of the ministry to boost the development of renewable energy in the country and provide greater access of the people to electricity.
Editing by Johannes Simbolon