Coordinating Minister Airlangga: EBT Development Is A Priority In Acceleration Of Energy Transition

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto while attending a cooperation agreement between PT Kayan Hydro Energy and Sumitomo Corporation (Photo: Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that President Joko Widodo prioritized the development of the energy transition using EBT.

Airlangga said, Indonesia has now played an active role in efforts to mitigate global emissions to anticipate climate change by launching a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 or sooner.

In the launching event of the Kayan Cascade Hydro Energy and Sumitomo Corporation Hydro Power Plant (PLTA) Cooperation between PT Kayan Cascade and Sumitomo Corporation in Jakarta, Airlangga said, Indonesia's commitment was shown by giving full attention to the development of New and Renewable Energy (EBT) through a green economy transformation.

The development of the Kayan Cascade hydropower plant, which can develop up to about 12 GWs, has become the attention of Mr. President Joko Widodo, and this has become part of Indonesia's commitment to achieve net zero emissions in 2060 or sooner. The government also targets 23 percent of all energy sources in Indonesia to come from renewable energy in 2026," said Airlangga, Thursday, October 6.

Furthermore, Coordinating Minister Airlangga hopes that the cooperation that has been established can begin to see progress in 2023, so that it can accelerate efforts to transition energy that is being carried out by Indonesia.

For information, Indonesia is the main market of Sumitomo Corporation (SC) Group for the electricity business, where PLTA Kayan Cascade itself is projected to become the largest hydropower plant in Southeast Asia. The construction of the Kayan Cascade hydropower plant requires an investment of 17.8 billion US dollars.

The capacity of the Kayan Cascade hydropower plant in the first phase is planned at 900 Megawatt (MW), the second phase is 1,200 MW, the third and fourth stages are 1,800 MW each, and the fifth stage is 3,300 MW. The first stage is targeted to be completed in 2026. Meanwhile, the second phase to the fifth stage each will take 2 to 3 years from the first stage.

"PLTA Kahyan Cascade is an integrated power source which is expected to electrify industrial areas in Tanah Kuning in North Kalimantan and is expected to also become an integrated economic zone," explained Airlangga.

Closing his remarks, Coordinating Minister Airlangga said that the development of green-based energy and industry continues to be encouraged because it is very necessary as an energy source in the future, namely green energy and is also intended for various green power-based smelters.

Therefore, I hope that by cooperating with Sumitomo Corporation, then of course it can also cooperate with various other downstream industries. The government also hopes that this collaboration can be realized. Not only is it limited to the embody of cooperation memos, but it can also be realized," concluded Coordinating Minister Airlangga.