NEXT PHASE OF EXPANSION
PLN, Indonesia’s state-owned utility company, has issued a tender for the wind farm’s next phase. The results are expected to be announced by mid-December.
According to Rudy Sembiring, Vena Energy’s country head for Indonesia, construction could start in late 2026 or early 2027 if the company’s bid is successful.
The expansion could comprise around eight to 10 new turbines, each with a capacity between 6MW and 7MW, he added.
“There have been developments in turbine technology – turbines are much bigger than they used to be. So, we are looking at fewer turbines, but by no means on a smaller scale,” he added.
However, Indonesia’s wind energy capacity remains modest.
Despite having an estimated 150 gigawatts of potential wind power, the country currently produces just a fraction of that – 150MW.
Experts say a key challenge is the slow expansion of power grids to support renewable energy growth.
“This is one of the Achilles’ heels that we currently have in our electricity planning system,” said Fabby Tumiwa, CEO of the Institute for Essential Services Reform, a think tank in the energy sector.
“Building the project itself may take three to four years. But building the grid could take longer. You need to ensure that you can build the grid on time so that when wind projects are ready to be connected to the grid, it is there,” he added.
Indonesia originally aimed to generate 23 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2025, a goal set under its 2014 National Energy Policy.
But the government has revised that target down to between 17 and 20 per cent, citing slower-than-expected progress.
Source: CNA
