Indonesia’s largest floating solar plant to expand to 500 MW

Abu Dhabi-based Masdar and PLN Nusantara Power, an Indonesian state-owned electricity generator, have agreed to more than triple the size of the Cirata floating PV power plant in West Java so it can generate 500 MW.

PLN NP Indonesia project

Image: PLN NP

Share

The Cirata floating PV power plant on the Cirata Reservoir in West Java, Indonesia, is scheduled to start generating 145 MW by the end of this year. This week, the project’s two managing companies – Masdar and Indonesian-headquartered electricity generator PLN Nusantara Power – agreed to expand Indonesia’s largest floating PV plant to 500 MW.

The companies did not say when the expanded, second phase of the project will be completed.

In January 2020, Masdar said it had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara, a government-owned electric utility, to build what it claimed would be Southeast Asia’s largest floating PV project.

The project can generate 500 MW because Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing permits up to 20% of water coverage for renewable energy, according to the press release. Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Ramahi claimed that the project pushes boundaries.

A recent study showed that Indonesia offers potential for floating PV on 2,719 suitable bodies of water, with 271,897 MW of potential capacity and 369,059 GWh/year of potential generation. Indonesia had 291 MW of installed solar capacity at the end of 2022, according to data collated by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.