Jakarta – Indonesia emphasises the development of large-scale electricity transmission infrastructure or super grid as a critical step in maximising the potential of renewable energy in the country, as its utilisation is still minimal, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR).
MEMR Secretary General Dadan Kusdiana said that abundant new renewable energy sources require a capable transmission system to distribute them efficiently throughout Indonesia.
“With the potential of renewable energy scattered in various regions, including in remote locations, the development of super grids is very important so that we can connect and distribute the energy to all major islands in Indonesia,” said Kusdiana in the discussion of the National Rembuk on Energy Transition, Thursday, March 7.
He explained that although Indonesia has a significant potential for renewable energy, its utilisation is far from optimal. As of September 2023, only around 0.3 per cent of renewable energy potential, including solar, hydro, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, and ocean energy, has been utilised.
“The utilisation of renewable energy in Indonesia is still far from optimal. For example, the potential of solar energy reaches 3.2 Terra Watt (TW), but only 345 Mega Watt (MW) has been utilised. Likewise, the potential of hydro and wind energy has only been utilised by a small portion of its overall potential,” Kusdiana added.
Hydro energy’s potential reaches 95 Gigawatts (GW), but only 6.7 GW has been utilised. While wind energy has a potential of 155 GW, only 154 MW has been utilised.
Furthermore, according to him, the Indonesian government hopes to take advantage of the latest technological developments to accelerate the utilisation of renewable energy in the country.
“We already have enough technology to utilise renewable energy sources. It’s time for us to take concrete steps to maximise this potential,” said Kusdiana. (Hartatik)
