Cirata Floating PLTS Ready to Launch in October 2023

PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) or PLN is preparing to launch a floating solar power plant (PLTS) in the Cirata Reservoir, West Java.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said that the PLTS, which has a capacity of 192 megawatts peak, will supply 245 million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year. The electricity tariff from this PLTS is US$5.8 cents per kWh, which is lower than the average cost of electricity supply in Indonesia.

“The floating PLTS will only use 25 percent of the reservoir’s surface area, leaving room for further expansion up to 1 gigawatt,” he said on Saturday.

PLN will operate the Cirata Floating PLTS through PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Masdar Solar Energi or PMSE, a joint venture of PT PJB Investasi (PJBI), a subsidiary of PLN, and Masdar, a renewable energy company from the United Arab Emirates. PJBI owns 51 percent of the shares, while Masdar has 49 percent.

Darmawan said that PLN is currently conducting several tests to ensure that the electricity generated from the PLTS can be distributed smoothly and safely. “We are optimistic that by the end of October 2023, this PLTS can be inaugurated,” he said.