PLN Secures Strong Commitments to Boost Energy Transition at COP 28

PT PLN (Persero), the Indonesian state-owned electricity company, has signed four collaboration agreements at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "We're deploying our best efforts in this energy transition. We can't walk this path alone. We need global collaboration regarding policy, technology, innovation, and investment," PLN CEO Darmawan Prasodjo stated on Monday.

Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the agreements signed at COP28 in Dubai should be executed within the next two years. According to her, Indonesia requires US$97 billion to carry out its energy transition by 2030. The collaborations secured by PLN at COP28 include:

1. A partnership with The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL will serve as the interim secretariat for the Global Power System Transformation. This collaboration includes a study on developing PLN's control center, focusing on integrating new renewable energy transmission systems in Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Sumatra.
2. A collaboration with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) on developing potential projects for reducing carbon emissions in the electricity sector. PLN and GEAPP will accelerate the de-dieselization or the shift from diesel-powered plants to new and renewable-powered plants, develop electric vehicle infrastructure, and enhance new renewable energy.
3. An agreement with PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). PLN will utilize the Project Development Facility (PDF) managed by SMI for Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant projects. KfW, alongside SMI, will offer support in the form of Feasibility Studies and Environmental and Social Scoping for the preliminary stages of the Grindulu Pumped Storage 4x250 megawatt and the Sumatera Pumped Storage 2x250 megawatt hydroelectric power plant projects.
4. A joint effort with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Cirebon Electric Power (CEP), and the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) to expedite the early retirement of the Cirebon coal-fired power plant in December 2035. This cessation of operations is ahead of the initial schedule of July 2042 and is projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30 million tons.