SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging, PLN's Answer To The Success Of The G20 Presidency

President Joko Widodo at the inauguration of the SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging. (photo: doc. between)

JAKARTA – Indonesia's G20 presidency, which will culminate in Bali, namely the G20 Summit on 15-16 November 2022, will bring the environmental crisis and green energy as the main issue. PT PLN (Persero) hopes to play a role in utilizing one of the G20 issues, namely the energy transition to green energy that is environmentally friendly.

To make the G20 Summit a success, PT PLN (Persero) built 60 units of "Ultra Fast Charging" General Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (SPKLU) to support around 656 units of electric vehicles that will pave the streets of Bali from the delegates of the G20 Summit.

When receiving a working visit from the Secretary of the Ministry of State Secretariat, Setya Utama, at the SPKLU construction site in the area belonging to ITDC Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali (10/3), Regional Director of Java, Madura and Bali, Haryanto WS, said PLN is currently building 21 The SPKLU Fast Charging unit in Bali has currently reached 31.67 percent and is targeted for completion in August 2022.

However, to anticipate needs and avoid waiting periods for vehicles when recharging, PLN will increase the number of SPKLU units as well as home charging. The SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging will be placed in several shelters, including 28 units in the parking area of the Apurva Kempinski Hotel, 18 units in the ITDC parking area and 14 units in the Forest/Tahura Mangrove parking area.

President Joko Widodo has inaugurated the SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on Friday, February 25. "The G20 presidency is an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate our various commitments to reducing CO2 emissions through the use of electric cars during the G20 Summit," said President Jokowi at the time.

The President stated that the G20 Summit could be an opportunity for Indonesia to show itself as one of the leading countries in the development of electric vehicles, which can be reflected in the presence of the battery industry and component industry in the upstream sector as well as the preparation of SPKLU and home charging facilities in the downstream.

"To support the G20 Summit, I am pleased to see that PLN has prepared 60 SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging 200kw which is the first SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging in Indonesia, and 150 points of home charging facilities that will be used by all delegates later," said the President, quoted from Antara.

Electric vehicles are part of the grand design of the energy transition from fossil energy to new renewable energy which can be a solution for Indonesia to reduce fuel imports and save the state budget, because people's dependence on fuel oil (BBM) and fossil energy is currently getting higher.

According to the President, PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo has explained that SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging has the advantage of charging which only takes less than 30 minutes for one vehicle.

In addition, SPKLU Ultra Fast Charging also applies a dynamic load distribution pattern so that it speeds up the charging process when carried out for two electric cars simultaneously.

Apart from that dependence, most of the domestic fuel needs are still imported. "(It) burdens our state budget, burdens the current account deficit and trade balance deficit," said President Jokowi, accompanied by PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo.

This condition cannot be left for long. Indonesia must find a way to achieve energy independence.

One way to prove Indonesia's commitment to energy transition is by using electric cars during the G20 Summit. The G20 presidency is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate various commitments to reducing CO2 emissions.

The Head of State assessed that electric vehicles and SPKLU during the G20 Summit will also be a "showcase" that Indonesia is a leading country in the development of electric vehicles.

"Starting from upstream in the battery industry and other component industries. To downstream, in the preparation of SPKLU and home charging. We show the world that the electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia is growing and developing fast," he said.

PLN is ready to support the conversion of fuel vehicles to electricity. The implementation of this conversion has a strategic value, namely it can reduce fuel subsidies in the APBN, save foreign exchange, and at the same time create national energy independence.

"In the past, using fuel-based vehicles that came from fossils and were expensive (imported), now they are replaced by electric vehicles that are cheaper and produce domestic energy," said Hal Darmawan Prasodjo.

Not only that, this program is part of the clean energy transition effort to achieve the net zero emission target by 2060. In addition to electric vehicles and refueling stations for electric vehicles, PLN has also launched induction cookers, digital-based services (PLN Mobile), and PLTS Rooftops. .

According to PLN calculations, the implementation of this policy has the potential to secure the country's foreign exchange of Rp2,044 trillion in the same year.

To support the electric vehicle ecosystem, PLN is aggressively adding refueling facilities for electric vehicles. As of February 2022, a total of 267 SPKLUs have operated nationwide in 195 locations.

As for the total SPKLU owned by PLN as many as 120 units and spread over 92 locations. By the end of 2022, PLN is targeting 580 SPKLU and 4,900 general electric vehicle battery exchange stations (SPBKLU).

Not only business and budget savings, the electric vehicle ecosystem has a very important strategic value, namely reducing carbon emissions, which means providing hope for a cleaner living space for posterity. dividend distribution consistently in the long term.