Water streams through the watergate of the Saguling hydroelectric power plant in West Java. PLN will build a 92-megawatt-peak (MWp) floating solar power plant using 1.69 per cent of the total surface area of the Saguling Reservoir. (source:thejakartapost.com)

Jakarta – Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PLN is partnering with Saudi Arabia's energy company, ACWA Power, to build two floating solar power plants on Lake Singkarak in West Sumatra and Saguling Reservoir in West Java.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo on December 7 said the works were based on the large solar potential and the vast lakes or reservoirs in the archipelago that could be exploited to promote new and renewable energy.

Darmawan emphasised that the floating solar farms will be a revolution in renewable energy development in the country.

The cooperation between PLN and ACWA Power was marked by the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference or COP-28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on December 3.

The Singkarak floating solar farm will cover 0.26% of the total area of Lake Singkarak and is expected to have a capacity of up to 77 megawatts (MWp). When operational, the power will be distributed via a 150 kV interconnection to meet the clean electricity needs of the Sumatra system.

Meanwhile, the Saguling floating solar farm will occupy 1.69% of the total area of the Saguling Reservoir and have a capacity of up to 92 MWp. The electricity generated will be fed into the Java, Madura, and Bali power systems through a 150 kV interconnection.

ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli said that working with PLN in the floating solar power plant projects has been a transformative journey, stressing that the works have helped to deal with the challenges of this energy transition together, creating various innovations and good cooperation for the future of the world.