Enviro News Asia, Bali — President Prabowo Subianto officially launched a national program targeting the development of 100 gigawatts peak (GWp) of solar power capacity across Indonesia, with the 1 MWp Sembur Island Solar Power Plant in Batam presented as one of the program’s pilot projects.
The national program was launched during an event at the Gilimanuk Operation Monument in Jembrana, Bali, on August 25. The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to accelerate renewable energy development, strengthen national energy independence and improve energy security.
Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE) developed the Sembur Island solar power project in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Cooperatives and the local government.
The project was represented during the national launch by Pertamina Deputy President Director Oki Muraza and a representative of the Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE). They participated virtually from the solar power facility on Sembur Island.
Oki said the project demonstrates how renewable energy development can be integrated with community empowerment and local economic development.
The 1 MWp solar power plant is equipped with a 1 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), allowing electricity generated by the facility to support community needs more reliably.
The project was developed in several stages. Groundbreaking took place on December 20, 2025, construction began on March 13, 2026, and the facility reached commissioning on August 17, 2026.
Pertamina NRE President Director John Anis said the project was designed not only to expand access to clean electricity but also to support productive economic activities on the island.
The facility is expected to provide electricity to around 200 households, including 158 residential homes, as well as public facilities and local economic activities. Before the project, residents reportedly depended on individual generators that could provide electricity for only around three to four hours each night.
The solar facility is also integrated with supporting infrastructure for the fisheries sector, including an ice-making facility with a production capacity of four metric tons per day and a cold-storage facility capable of holding five metric tons.
These facilities are intended to strengthen the cold chain for fishery products and enable fishermen and local cooperatives to improve the handling and distribution of their catch.
The project is also expected to significantly reduce the community’s reliance on fuel-based generators. Pertamina NRE estimates that fuel consumption could decline by approximately 877 liters per day, equivalent to around 320,000 liters annually.
The resulting fuel cost savings are projected at approximately Rp3.5 billion to Rp5 billion per year, demonstrating the potential economic benefits of renewable energy beyond electricity generation.
The Sembur Island project therefore represents a model of productive renewable energy development, in which clean electricity is linked directly to community livelihoods, fisheries infrastructure and local economic growth.
The government has emphasized that collaboration among ministries, state-owned enterprises, local governments, communities and other stakeholders will be essential to achieving the broader 100 GWp solar power target.
The Sembur Island experience is expected to provide a practical example of how decentralized renewable energy can improve electricity access while simultaneously supporting economic activity and contributing to Indonesia’s broader energy transition. (*)
