Jakarta—Through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), the Indonesian government is aggressively increasing the use of renewable energy, especially solar power, in its energy mix to achieve a net-zero emissions target by 2060.
Director of EBTKE Infrastructure Planning and Development at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Senda Hurmuzan Kanam, explained that Indonesia needs to make the most of its abundant solar energy potential to meet the target. According to him, the target of 421 gigawatt peak (GWp) of solar power by 2060 is a challenge for the domestic manufacturing industry.
“We have tremendous solar power potential. Developing solar panel technology, especially for rooftop solar, is important to achieve 10 GWp of renewable energy by 2025. Currently, we can generate up to 15 GWp just from rooftop solar,” Senda said in a written statement on Wednesday, October 9.
Ridha Yasser, Assistant Deputy for Energy at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, said collaboration and technological innovation are needed to ensure that solar power can significantly contribute to Indonesia’s energy security.
“Indonesia is a country rich in natural resources. To achieve carbon neutrality, we must create a manufacturing industry that supports the development of solar panels, battery storage, and solar-based electricity distribution networks. With downstream and innovation in this field, we can meet domestic energy needs and reduce dependence on imports,” Ridha said.
Secretary General of the National Energy Council, Djoko Siswanto, explained that Indonesia’s renewable energy mix has reached 16.75% of the 23% target by 2025. To support this target, various renewable energy factories are being built. One of them is a solar PV factory with a production capacity of 1 GW, which is nearing completion in Kendal, Central Java, and a battery factory in Karawang, which currently has a capacity of 10 GW and is planned to be expanded to 20 GW.
“Developing solar PV and battery plants is the right step to create a solid renewable energy ecosystem. With the support of solar research and development centres, we can also accelerate technology transfer, particularly in solar panel manufacturing and energy storage management. This contributes to national energy needs and opens up export opportunities to neighbouring countries,” Djoko explained.
From the private sector, the solar initiative is supported by Huawei Digital Power through its latest product, FusionSolar, which combines solar power with smart energy storage systems to improve energy efficiency. Huawei Digital Power CEO Jin Song expressed his commitment “to support the energy transition with safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly renewable energy products.” (Hartatik)
