Indonesia has opened a floating solar power plant in West Java, part of a plan to use reservoirs to generate more renewable electricity. President Joko Widodo attended a ceremony to mark the opening of the Cirata plant, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the capital Jakarta, on Thursday.
President Joko Widodo (center) attends the inauguration of the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant. Accelerating the energy transition is his top priority, with Indonesia aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. Photo: Bloomberg
Indonesia issued regulations in July allowing up to 20% of its reservoirs to be used for renewable energy. “This is a historic day because our big dream of building a large-scale renewable energy project has finally come true,” Mr. Widodo said.
Floating solar is becoming increasingly popular as a clean energy solution for countries that lack land or where land-based development faces opposition.
According to research organization BloombergNEF, Japan, South Korea and China are among the countries applying this solution.
Booster station and floating array of Cirata floating solar power plant. Photo: Xinhua
Cirata’s initial capacity is larger than existing sites in Southeast Asia, although larger facilities are currently under development in countries including Malaysia and Vietnam, BNEF data shows. It is also smaller than existing floating solar plants elsewhere, including in China’s Anhui province.
Elsewhere in Indonesia, Sunseap Group has proposed building a 2.2-gigawatt plant on a reservoir on Batam Island near Singapore, while Reposttren Holdings is planning a 2GW facility in West Java.
Mai Van (according to Bloomberg, SCMP)
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