Indonesia marked a significant stride in sustainable energy with the inauguration of the Cirata floating solar farm on Thursday. Costing $100 million, this collaborative effort between Indonesia’s Perusahaan Listrik Negara and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, supported by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Societe Generale, and Standard Chartered, spans a 200-hectare reservoir in West Java.
Comprising 340,000 solar panels, the farm is Southeast Asia’s largest, projecting to generate sufficient electricity for 50,000 households. Despite this milestone, Indonesia faces challenges in its transition to clean energy. Currently, solar and wind power contribute less than one percent to the nation’s energy mix, hindering progress toward the government’s 2060 net-zero emissions target.
Indonesia, a major nickel producer, positions itself in the electric vehicle market. However, some energy-intensive nickel smelters are coal-powered, complicating the nation’s environmental ambitions. As Indonesia grapples with balancing industrial demands and eco-friendly initiatives, the Cirata solar farm stands as a notable step towards a more sustainable energy landscape in the region.
