Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-run electricity company PT PLN has set February of 2024 as the start time for the operation of the solar power plant currently being built in the new capital city (IKN) Nusantara, East Kalimantan.

"By February next year, it (solar power plant) will start operating with an (initial) capacity of 10 megawatts," President Director of PLN Nusantara Power Ruly Firmansyah stated during a meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Monday.

Firmansyah confirmed that the development process of the solar power plant, with a total capacity of 50 megawatts, had begun.

"We are contributing to the development of IKN by building a 50-megawatt land-based PLTS (solar power plant)," he stated.

He further noted that the solar power plant will start operating at full capacity later on in May 2024.

According to Firmansyah, PLN is equipping the 50-megawatt solar power plant with the battery energy storage system (BESS).

"Currently, we are using the BESS and aiming to make the PLTS in IKN as a power plant that optimizes new and renewable energy, much like we did in the development of the Bawean PLTS and Cirata floating PLTS," he remarked.

Related news: PLTS at IKN to cut 104,000 tons of CO2 emissions: Widodo

Earlier, on November 2, 2023, President Joko Widodo had personally launched the development of the solar power plant in Nusantara.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the PLTS, he affirmed that the operation of the solar power plant would help Indonesia cut up to 104 thousand tons of carbon emissions per year.

"This is a pioneer of renewable energy power generation in IKN. The fulfillment of new and renewable energy in IKN is consistent with the concept of developing IKN as a forest capital city," he remarked in Nusantara.

The government has also revealed the plan to use the 50-megawatt PLTS to supply electricity for the commemoration of the Anniversary of the Independence of Indonesia on August 17 next year in the country's future capital.

Related news: PLN to construct solar power plant in Nusantara: OIKN

Translator: Aji C, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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