Indonesia

Indonesia’s new renewable energy bill will include legislation allowing power wheeling, enabling private companies to sell electricity directly to end consumers via networks owned by the state-run electricity company.

The increasing role of pumped hydro technology in Australia’s renewable energy transition is expected to be mirrored in the neighbouring Southeast Asia region with international consultancy Rystad Energy tipping the total capacity of operational projects will surge from the current 2.3 GW to 18 GW by 2033.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Indonesia has set a quota of 5,746 MW of rooftop solar to be deployed between 2024 and 2028. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform anticipates rooftop solar to be more commonly adopted by commercial and industrial consumers than residential users, following the abolishment of net-metering earlier this year.

United States-headquartered module maker SEG Solar has struck a deal for the development and operation of a PV manufacturing facility on the Indonesian island of Java with a production capacity of 5 GW of silicon wafers, 5 GW of solar cells, and 5 GW of PV modules.

The Indonesian government has ended net metering for rooftop solar installations. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform says this could make it harder for the country to meet its solar deployment targets, as PV installations will become more expensive for households and small businesses.

Indonesia has officially launched the largest floating solar farm in southeast Asia and already the proponents have agreed to more than triple the capacity of the 145 MW project as the nation looks to increase its renewable energy sources and switch away from coal.

The PV industry in Southeast Asia has come a long way since guest author Ragna Schmidt-Haupt, partner at Everoze, reported on solar financing innovation in the region more than a decade ago. In this article, she outlines five factors for success, the newest of which has the potential to become a game changer, and not only in Southeast Asia.

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.

Western Australia has signed an agreement to bolster its relationship with Indonesia around critical minerals and clean energy manufacturing – with both regions among the world’s leading producers for particular minerals.

SunCable’s sale to Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures has today been completed, with the company flagging new project elements, including a subsea cable manufacturing and testing facility, as well as reiterating its vision of delivering bulk energy to Singapore via undersea cables.