Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia plans to roll out 100 GW of solar power plants across 80,000 villages.
The projects will be managed by the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP). Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, said the government is targeting the construction of 100 GW of solar power plants, creating a large market for the domestic battery industry.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Indonesia’s Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) said on August 12 that, if implemented effectively, the project would become the largest rural electrification initiative and distributed renewable energy generation programme in Southeast Asia, addressing the challenges of providing quality, equitable, and affordable energy for all Indonesians.
However, the IESR also warned that the ambitious solar energy programme faces challenges related to site selection and human resources, noting that constructing a 1 MW solar power plant and a 4 MWh battery system requires 30–50 workers.
In addition, coordination between ministries, local authorities, and stakeholders is needed. The IESR therefore called for the initiative to be transformed into a National Strategic Programme (PSN) and for a task force to be established to manage it./.