MKI Partners with Industry Players to Stakeholders Discuss Green Electricity Interconnection

JAKARTA - The government and PT PLN (Persero) have planned two major High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission projects in the coming decade as part of the RUPTL 2025-2034.

In response to this, the Indonesian Electricity Society (MKI) in collaboration with the Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques (CIGRE Indonesia) held a Workshop entitled "HVDC Transmission: Indonesia's Green Enabling Interconnection

This workshop is a strategic forum that brings together industry players, regulators, and global stakeholders to discuss the role of HVDC technology as the backbone of green electricity interconnection in Indonesia.

The Chairman of MKI who is also the Director of Project Management and Renewable Energy of PLN, Suroso Isnandar said, this activity is part of MKI's strategic role as a platform for connecting all stakeholders of the electricity sector in strengthening collaboration to ensure that the energy transition can be achieved in a coordinated and sustainable manner. He highlighted the importance of inter-island connectivity such as Sumatra and Java.

"This interconnection is no longer a discourse, but a crucial need to support the energy transition and ensure the reliability of the national electricity system," he said, Tuesday, April 21.

Meanwhile, the President Director of PT PLN (Persero), Darmawan Prasodjo, in his remarks emphasized the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in strengthening national energy resilience. According to him, the future of Indonesian energy must be based on the efficient and sustainable utilization of domestic resources.

"With the spirit of togetherness, we can create a better energy future. We want to provide more affordable energy, encourage greater investment, and accelerate national development," said Darmawan.

This statement is in line with the government's projection that investment in the electricity sector will exceed US$500 billion to support the energy transition target.

Darmawan Prasodjo also previously stated that Indonesia needs a transmission network of around 48,000 kilometers as part of the national energy transition strategy, to bridge the gap between renewable energy sources (generally in remote areas) and the electricity demand center (in the main economic areas).

The Sumatra-Java interconnection project using HVDC technology, with a circuit length of 112 kilometers, is one of the government's priority projects which is currently in the preparation phase.

Furthermore, Darmawan added, the Indonesian government continues to show its commitment in accelerating the energy transition towards a greener and sustainable electricity system.

"Through the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) 2025-2034, the government targets an addition of new generating capacity of 69.5 gigawatt (GW), with 76 percent coming from renewable energy such as solar, water, wind, and geothermal energy, and supported by energy storage systems (batteries and pumped-storage hydropower)," he said.

More specifically, he continued, the renewable energy target in the RUPTL includes 42.6 GW of renewable energy (EBT), including 17.1 GW of solar energy, 11.7 GW of water, 7.2 GW of wind, and 5.2 GW of geothermal energy.

This commitment is further strengthened by President Prabowo Subianto's statement that targets the construction of a solar power plant (PLTS) with a capacity of 100 GW in a relatively short time, as a strategic step to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while supporting the ambitious target of 100 percent electricity from renewable energy in the next 10 years.

"The government also allocates fiscal support for energy resilience of IDR 402.4 trillion in 2026," said Darmawan.

For information, this workshop features sessions discussing innovative business schemes for the development of HVDC projects. Including private funding options presented by PLN, as well as perspectives from Kansai Electric Power Indonesia, Voksel, and KEPCO.