"We must achieve our target because the contribution of new and renewable energy in the national primary energy mix in 2021 had only reached 11.7 percent. Therefore, we need a strategy to accelerate the achievement of new renewable energy targets, including prioritizing the development of solar energy," secretary general of the ministry, Ego Syahrial, said at the 2022 Indonesia Solar Summit in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The ministry has projected that Indonesia's solar energy potential accounts for more than 3,200 gigawatts (GW), or 89 percent of the total renewable energy potential in the country.
One of the efforts made by the government to meet the EBT target is the formulation of a Business Plan for Electricity Provision (RUPTL) for 2021–2030. The business plan, made by PT PLN, will put the portion of new and renewable energy at 20.9 GW in 2030, with a total additional solar energy capacity of 4.68 GW.
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Syahrial explained that Indonesia's energy transition road map also targets net-zero emissions by 2060. Solar energy will play an important role in supplying electrical energy, with more than 60 percent of new and renewable energy expected to come from solar energy.
"The government has had three major solar energy programs, namely rooftop PLTS with a target of 3.61 GW by 2026, large-scale ground-mounted PLTS, and floating PLTS at 270 locations with a potential of around 27 GW," he informed.
Indonesia also has a great opportunity to export electricity generated from solar energy to several ASEAN member countries, including Singapore.
Syahrial said that implementing these programs requires contributions from many parties, not only the government or the business sector, but also energy consumers, such as the commercial and industrial sectors.
He also said that rooftop PLTS is a quick way to utilize solar energy through direct contributions from energy consumers, especially for the industry to meet the strong market demand for green products.
Support from local manufacturers is also needed to fulfill the level of domestic component (TKDN) requirements and provide benefits for the country in the job creation sector.
"In addition, the aspect of easy access to affordable financing, incentives, and other financing facilities is important to provide financial feasibility and increase new and renewable energy investments, such as PLTS," Syahrial added.
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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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