Belitung, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment will build a solar power plant on Lengkuas Island, East Belitung District, Bangka Belitung Islands Province.

"We, along with a team from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, have reviewed the solar power plant construction site on Lengkuas Island," Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung Islands Ridwan Djamaluddin remarked in Belitung on Wednesday.

Djamaluddin noted that the power plant's construction on Lengkuas Island was one of the efforts to support the government's program in pursuing renewable energy and providing affordable clean energy for the local coastal communities.

"Some time ago, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries had also built a 10 kWp solar power plant in the Tanjung Kelayang Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to support the G20 event in Belitung in September 2022," he remarked.

He opined that the solar power plant on Lengkuas Island was vital in fulfilling the community's energy requirements in developing the land's tourism.

"This solar power plant not only meets the residents' electrical energy needs but can also be used to help desalinate seawater into water fit for consumption," he stated.

The assistant deputy for energy at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Radian Nurcahyo, noted that the plan for the construction of the second power plant was initiated by Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung Ridwan Djamaluddin.

"After we saw the location, the construction of the solar power plant on Lengkuas Island was different from that of the solar power plant in the Tanjung Kelayang SEZ. Here, it is likely to be installed on the roof due to the condition of the waves," he remarked.

Nurcahyo said that technical development of the solar power plant on Lengkuas Island would be further discussed to pursue the construction of this renewable energy plant.

"We will discuss further, whether the procurement is the same as in the Tanjung Kelayang SEZ through a grant from PT Radiant Utama Interinsco or if the regional government (sources it instead)," he said.

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Translator: Aprionis, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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