The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is taking significant strides to harness the vast potential of New and Renewable Energy (EBT) as a reliable energy source for the nation’s future. With a strong focus on both electricity and non-electricity projects, the government is committed to accelerating EBT development and adoption.
As of the first semester of 2023, the country has achieved an impressive overall installed capacity of the EBT Power Plant (PLT) reaching 12,736.7 Mega Watt (MW). This remarkable figure is a collective result from various sources, including PLT Air contributing 6,738.3 MW, PLTBio with 3,118.3 MW, PLT Geothermal at 2,373.1 MW, PLT Solar generating 322.6 MW, PLT Bayu producing 154.3 MW, and PLT Gasification Coal at 30.0 MW.
Director General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) Dadan Kusdiana stated, “Currently, the NRE generating capacity is 12.7 GW, accounting for 15% of the total 84.8 GW generators.”
Besides focusing on electricity-based EBT achievements, the government is optimizing the potential absorption of EBT through the use of 35% blended biodiesel (B35) domestically. During the period from January to June 2023, the country has already achieved 5.677 million kilo liters (kl) of biodiesel consumption, resulting in impressive foreign exchange savings of IDR 54.24 trillion.
Moreover, the Indonesian government is actively promoting the use of biomass for greening existing Steam Power Plants (PLTU) through the innovative biomass co-firing program. With a target of 52 locations to be implemented by 2025, the program has already been successful in 37 locations, utilizing 306 thousand tons of biomass towards a 2023 target of 1.08 million tons.
To ensure effective implementation, the government is closely monitoring the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) of PT PLN (Persero), targeting a total of 20,923 MW of EBT generators to be built within 2021-2030. As of now, 737 MW (3.5%) of PLT EBT are in operation, with 5,259 MW (25.1%) in the construction phase, 976 MW (4.7%) in the procurement stage, and 1,232 MW (5.9%) in the planned procurement stage. Additionally, projects amounting to 12,656 MW (60.5%) are in the planning stage, while 64 MW (0.3%) are discontinued or terminated.
To expedite the implementation of EBT, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has initiated various efforts, including the construction of on-grid PLT EBT (including Floating PLTS and Roof PLTS), implementing the Dedieselization Program, enforcing mandatory B35 usage, and promoting co-firing of biomass at PLTU.
Furthermore, the Ministry is actively developing EBT infrastructure through the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN), focusing on improving access to electricity in remote areas.
As a testament to its commitment to EBT growth, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has made regulatory improvements by revising Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 26 of 2021, aimed at enhancing the implementation of Rooftop PLTS and encouraging greater community participation.
Looking ahead, the Ministry is also preparing a draft regulation for the Minister of Utilization of Biomass as a fuel mix in PLTU, a measure aimed at reducing coal consumption and transitioning towards cleaner energy sources.
Indonesia, with its abundant EBT potential of 3,687 GW, encompassing solar, hydro, bioenergy, wind, geothermal, and marine energy, has a promising future in the renewable energy sector. Despite the challenges posed by its geographical conditions as an archipelagic nation, the country is determined to maximize the potential of EBT, contributing significantly to sustainable development and energy security.
Director General Dadan Kusdiana emphasized that evaluating EBT achievements merely based on the comparison between installed capacity and EBT potential is not entirely accurate, considering the nation’s vast and diverse EBT potential. The Indonesian government remains steadfast in its commitment to realizing a greener and more sustainable future for the country through EBT development.
 as a reliable future energy source. With significant progress in both electricity and non-electricity EBT, the country is actively implementing various initiatives, including co-firing biomass in power plants and promoting the use of biodiesel, to further advance its EBT goals.){kind=link}