PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said the project was based on the large solar potential and the vast lakes or reservoirs in the archipelago that could be exploited to promote new and renewable energy.
“This floating solar farm will be a revolution in the development of domestic renewable energy, and we hope that this project will contribute significantly to the development of the renewable energy business in Indonesia,” Darmawan said in a statement in Jakarta, on Thursday, Dec. 7.
The cooperation between PLN and ACWA Power was marked by the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference or COP-28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday, Dec. 3. It was signed by Darmawan Prasodjo, PLN Indonesia Power President Director Edwin Nugraha Putra, and ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli.
According to Darmawan, PLN had conducted the feasibility studies and applied for the permits. The project has also been included in the list of the national strategic project (PSN).
The Singkarak floating solar farm will stand on 0.26 percent of the total area of Lake Singkarak and is expected to have a capacity of up to 77 megawatts (MWp). When operational, the power will be distributed via a 150-kilovolt (kV) interconnection to meet the clean electricity needs of the Sumatra system.
Meanwhile, the Saguling floating solar farm will occupy 1.69 percent of the total area of the Saguling Reservoir and have a capacity of up to 92 MWp. The electricity generated will be fed into the Java, Madura, and Bali power systems through a 150 kV interconnection.
Darmawan also said that the projects are a testament to the cooperation of the international community in support of the country's energy transition.
ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli also said that working with PLN in the floating solar power plant projects has been a transformative journey. “We are dealing with the challenges of this energy transition together, creating various innovations and good cooperation for the future of the world,” he said.
