Government Encourages Floating Solar Farm, No Land Acquisition Needed

Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy group Masdar and PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali (PJB) on August 4 have reached financial closing for the 145 MW Cirata Floating Photovoltaic Power Plant on a 225 ha section of the Cirata Reservoir in West Java. Construction on the plant has now started, and its completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022. Once finalized, the project should become the country's and Southeast Asia's largest floating PV plant.

Quoted by PV Magazine, according to the report Indonesia Energy Transition Outlook 2021, which was recently published by the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), Cirata Floating Photovoltaic Power Plant will sell power at a tariff of US$0.0581/kWh. The report also revealed that PT Indonesia Power tendered, last year, two floating photovoltaic power plant projects with capacities of 60 MW and 90 MW, respectively, and final prices came in at US$0.0374/kWh and US$0.0368/kWh, respectively. With more than 100 reservoirs – plus 521 natural lakes – Indonesia is planning a further 60 floating photovoltaic power plant installations as it chases a target of having 23 percent of its power generated by renewables by 2025.