PLN, the state electricity company of Indonesia, has signed a power purchase agreement with Masdar, a global leader in renewable Energy and sustainable urban development from Abu Dhabi. The agreement is to develop the first floating solar photovoltaic (PV) in Indonesia, located in Java Island.
The 145 MW PV plant will be located on a 225-hectare plot in the 6200-hectare Cirata Reservoir in the West Java region. PT Pembangkitan Jawa-Bali, a subsidiary of PLN, will also participate in the development of the plant. The plant is expected to be start commercial operations in 2022.
The project is Masdar’s first venture into the South East Asian market, and builds on the UAE’s strong relationship with Indonesia.
Indonesia is targeting 23% of its power to be generated by renewables by 2025 and 31% by 2030. An additional 60 floating PV are planning to be developed to meet this goal. Indonesia is currently considering plans to install floating solar PV plants on an additional 60 reservoirs.
A number of countries in the ASEAN region are exploring floating solar plants, which spare valuable land resources and also can be more efficient, due to the water’s cooling effect.
(Sources: Gulf Today; PV Magazine; Masdar)
