Abu Dhabi (ANTARA) - United Arab Emirates’ state-owned renewable energy company Masdar expects the expansion of the Cirata floating solar power plant in West Java to begin recording concreate progress this year.

Masdar’s Head of Business Development for Asia-Pacific Fatima Al Suwaidi said the expansion is a continuation of the company’s long-term partnership with PT PLN (Persero), which began with the development of the 145‑megawatt (MW) Cirata floating solar plant started in 2017.

“We're hoping that within this year, we will be able to achieve concrete steps in the development and the collaboration of the Cirata expansion,” she told ANTARA on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The 145‑MW floating solar plant—Masdar’s first floating PV project and its inaugural renewable energy project in Southeast Asia—was built on a 250‑hectare area of the Cirata Reservoir in West Java.

The facility, which began operating in 2023, generates enough clean energy to power 50,000 homes and reduce carbon emissions by 214,000 tons per year.

In April 2025, Masdar and PLN signed an agreement to expand the Cirata floating solar plant to a total capacity of 500 MW.

Al Suwaidi said Masdar and PLN are currently conducting a pre‑feasibility assessment to establish the project’s development framework in line with the latest regulations issued by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR).

The regulation increases the permitted water surface coverage for floating solar plants from 5 percent to 20 percent, a change she said opens greater opportunities for Indonesia to scale up floating solar development.

She added that policy support under the 2025–2034 national electricity development plan (RUPTL), which provides room for floating solar projects, is also a key factor enabling the acceleration of the Cirata expansion.

Under the 2025–2034 RUPTL, Indonesia aims to add 69.5 GW of new power generation capacity, with around 76 percent coming from renewable energy. The planned additions include 17.1 GW of solar power, alongside other renewable sources.

Beyond Cirata, Al Suwaidi said Masdar is also preparing the development of the Jatigede floating solar power plant in Sumedang, West Java.

She noted that once the initial and technical studies are completed, the next steps for both projects will be the finalization of the power purchase agreement (PPA) and preparations for the construction.



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Reporter: Shofi Ayudiana
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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