The construction process of the 192 Megawatt peak (MWp) Floating Solar Power Plant (PLTS) in Cirata, Purwakarta, West Java, is reported to be nearing completion. Once finished, this area will be the largest floating solar power plant in Southeast Asia, or ASEAN. PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo stated that the PLTS is currently undergoing testing and is scheduled to officially operate in October 2023. He mentioned this after directly inspecting the project.
“I want to ensure the readiness of the Cirata floating solar power plant to be operational. Currently, we are conducting various tests to ensure that the electricity from this PLTS can be distributed properly. We are optimistic that by the end of October 2023, coinciding with the National Electricity Day, this PLTS can be inaugurated,” he said in a written statement, quoted on Sunday (9/10/2023).
Darmawan explained that the Cirata floating solar power plant is the result of collaboration between PLN Nusantara Power subholding and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) energy company, Masdar. Through this collaboration, the project has been able to employ more than 1,400 local workers. By implementing advanced technology, this PLTS has also created new competencies for PLN.
“I met several personnel, graduates of the best state universities. I asked them a year ago if they understood how to build and operate this floating solar power plant. They knew nothing about this. There were many challenges that had to be overcome. However, we were able to map out and find solutions to these challenges. Surprisingly, these challenges made us even stronger,” said Darmawan.
Darmawan stated that this floating solar power plant is located on the Cirata Reservoir in West Bandung, West Java. Spanning an area of 200 hectares, built in 13 blocks with over 340 thousand solar panels, this PLTS is capable of producing 245 million kWh of clean energy per year and can power over 50,000 homes, while also reducing carbon emissions by more than 200,000 tons per year.
With an investment value of IDR 1.7 trillion, this project is able to generate attractive returns on investment, boost investor confidence, and also address the challenges of clean energy.
“This also proves that PLN is capable of presenting attractive investment cooperation schemes, which successfully encourage investor interest in developing renewable energy projects in other regions,” added Darmawan.
Darmawan assured that PLN will continue to develop clean energy-based power plants. With a clean energy potential of up to 360 GW, PLN is opening investment cooperation opportunities for clean energy development in the country to achieve the Net Zero Emissions (NZE) target by 2060.
On this occasion, Darmawan also launched the use of an electric boat named “Nusantara e-Boat”. The electric boat is used as an operational vehicle for the Cirata floating solar power plant personnel.
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