Official acknowledges slow progress in renewables development

By Nova Farida

Petromindo|Lucky

Director General of New and Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Rida Mulyana said that renewables energy this year is expected to only account for about 7.7 percent of the country?s mix.

Rida said that renewables next year is projected to account for only around 8.5-9 percent of the energy mix with the operation of a number of new projects including the PLTB Sidrap wind power plant in Sulawesi.

?The growth (of development) has been slow,? he said on Wednesday. Rida, however, stressed that the ministry is still optimistic to be able to meet the government?s target for renewables to account for 23 percent of the energy mix by 2025.

He acknowledged that one of the key obstacles in accelerating the development of the renewables sector is financing. But he said but this well eventually be resolved as the government plans new funding schemes and that the cost of renewables technology will increasingly be more competitive in the future.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak