PLN Renewable Energy Certificates For 5 Presidential Palaces

JAKARTA - PT PLN (Persero) has submitted a new renewable energy certificate (REC) to support the use of environmentally friendly electricity at the five Presidential Palaces.

The five Presidential Palaces are the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Bogor, Yogyakarta, Cipanas, and Tampaksiring.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said this is clear evidence that PLN and the Setpres have moved to realize a clean energy transition, in accordance with President Joko Widodo's directives.

"The state Palace is one of the vanguards to be part of climate change. This is an extraordinary example, so it is hoped that other institutions can follow this step," he said in his remarks quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Tuesday, September 6.

Darmawan explained, through this REC, it means that the state palace is currently powered by clean energy-based electricity. As a manifestation of the Indonesian government's commitment to achieving the Net Zero Emission target in 2060.

According to him, the clean energy source used in the REC at the five Presidential Palace comes from the Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) with a generating capacity of 140 megawatts (MW).

PLN also has other clean energy sources, namely PLTP Lahendong 80 MW and PLTA Bakaru 130 MW. So that the total electricity production is around 2.5 million MWh per year which is equivalent to 2.5 million REC units. Meanwhile, the REC cooperation for the five Presidential Palaces has a capacity of 12,800 MWh per year which is equivalent to 24,360 units of REC.

This means that there are still many potential RECs that can be collaborated with various parties.

Darmawan hopes that this collaboration can become a role model for all government agencies in Indonesia to utilize electricity sourced from new and renewable energy.

"The success of the energy transition is not only determined by PLN. But support by all domestic forces, including those that have been encouraged by Mr. Kasetpres here through the use of EBT-based electricity products," he said.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Heru Budi Hartono said the purchase of REC for the Presidential Palace means government support to encourage the use of clean electricity.

Heru assessed that this collaboration could encourage other government agencies to use the PLN REC.

This is one of our supports in the energy transition. Hopefully, when the Palace has used this step, it can be followed by other institutions and ministries so that we can together fight climate change conditions that move quickly," said Heru.

PLN noted that it has provided REC for electricity equivalent to 620,378 megawatt hour (MWh) until July 2022.

This figure is up from the realization at the end of 2021 which reached 308,201 MWh. Currently, 186 industrial and business customers have been used by REC.

REC is an instrument that represents the renewable attributes of each electric MWh produced by renewable energy generation. One REC unit represents one MWh.

"In the past, companies had to buy REC certificates abroad. For that we built domestic REC products but they were still recognized internationally," explained Darmawan.

The REC provided by PLN proves that the energy used by customers comes from EBT-based power plants verified by the international tracking system, APX TIGRs located in California, USA. Thus, each REC can be accounted for, of high quality, and meet international standards.