PLN Wants to Increase the Capacity of the Cirata 550 MWac Floating PV Plant

Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant (photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

BANDUNG - PT PLN Nusantara Power (PLN NP) is studying plans to increase the capacity of the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant (PLTS) in Purwakarta, West Java, to 550 megawatts of alternating current (MWac).

Currently, the largest floating solar power plant in Southeast Asia has an installed capacity of 145 MWac or equivalent to 192 megawatts peak (MWp).

Vice President of Corporate Communication & CSR PLN Nusantara Power Harry Purnomo said that the Cirata Floating PV Plant has been operating since November 2023 and the potential for capacity addition is still in the initial study phase.

"This development plan is still in the initial study stage," he said in the PLN NP Media Gathering at the Cirata Floating PV Plant site, written on Thursday, December 18.

Harry explained that in the subsequent development plan, PLN Nusantara Power is open to partnering with investors. However, the amount of investment for the next capacity development cannot be determined, because it is still in the initial discussion stage.

For information, in the initial phase, the Cirata 145 MWac Floating PV project has partnered with Masdar, a renewable energy company from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as a main partner with an investment value of around IDR 2 trillion.

"For the value of the investment, we haven't dared to say, because the study is still very early. However, we remain open to (the entry of) investors," said Harry.

Meanwhile, Outreach and Stakeholder Manager of Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Masdar Solar Energi (PMSE) Respati Adi Katmoyo said the Cirata Floating PV Plant utilizes the surface of the Cirata Reservoir with an area of more than 250 hectares (ha).

It consists of 13 islands or arrays that accommodate around 340,000 solar panels. Each panel island has an area of around 10 ha with an installed capacity of around 15.7 MWp.

Furthermore, Adi said that with the potential development of 550 MWac, the capacity of the Cirata Floating PV Plant could reach around 700 MWac.

"God willing, in the future, floating PV plants will be developed to a size of approximately 550 MWac or equivalent to 700 MWac plus the current one," said Adi.

According to Adi, since it was first inaugurated in 2023, the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant has made a significant contribution to providing clean energy for tens of thousands of households and reducing carbon emissions by 214,000 tons per year.

"And this can electrify about 50,000 households," said Adi.

In fact, Adi said, this project also contributes to increasing the national clean energy mix, which is currently still in the range of 12 percent to 13 percent, while the target in 2025 is 23 percent.

"One of the factors that is interesting for us, the Cirata Floating PV can add clean energy mix," said Adi.

Adi continued, the Cirata Floating PV Plant will adopt a battery energy storage system (BESS). Later, the electricity generated can be used day and night or when the sun is not visible.

"PLN asks for the next development including (the use of) BESS," he explained.