President encourages 100 Giga PLTS to be accelerated, diesel plant targeted to be cut by 10 Giga this year

JAKARTA - The government has begun to accelerate the solar power plant or PLTS 100 giga program. President Prabowo Subianto asked the project to be accelerated, especially to reduce dependence on diesel plants.

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisainstek) Brian Yuliarto said the directive emerged in the evaluation of the joint program with Danantara. According to Brian, the President asked directly about the development of the program and asked for its implementation to be accelerated.

"The President asked about the development and asked that it be accelerated, especially for diesel," Brian told reporters at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (21/4).

Brian said the results of the meeting between Danantara, PLN, experts in the ministry, and a number of universities set a large initial target. This year, the capacity of diesel plants is targeted to be reduced by 10 gigawatt. At the same time, additional capacity is estimated to reach around 7 gigawatt.

With that count, the government estimates that the installed capacity of PLTS that can be run for the current stage reaches around 17 giga.

"From the calculations together with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, PLN, Danantara, and also several university experts, it is estimated that 17 gigawatt can be installed for PLTS," said Brian.

The target mentioned by the government is quite large. This year, the capacity of diesel plants is targeted to be reduced by 10 giga, while additional PV plants are estimated to reach around 7 giga.

Regarding the location of the project, Brian has not specified. He only said that the determination and implementation of the program were entirely in the hands of PLN as the executor.

"The location later, everything is from PLN as the implementer of the program," said Brian.