Indonesian PT PLN says it has started operating a 561 kW floating solar power plant on the island of Java. The floating system, part of a larger 920 kW solar project under construction at the company’s gas and steam power generation complex, is expected to produce 1.4 million kWh per year.
The floating facility is part of a larger 920 kW solar power project under construction on the site of a gas and steam power generation complex operated by the company’s PLN IP Semarang Power Generation Unit. Built by PLN IP and its subsidiary PT Indo Energi Hijau, the floating solar power plant was built over a period of eight months on a 1-hectare pond. The company claims that the facility will generate 1.4 million kWh per year, which will help reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1,304 tons.
PLN has already implemented several initiatives to achieve this goal, such as phasing out coal-fired power plants, PLN CEO Darmawan Prasodjo said. Instead, PLN has started building new renewable energy plants. The company’s main strategy is to move away from fossil generators to renewable energy generators, he added.
The floating solar power system is also part of the group’s efforts to optimize potential land areas that can be integrated into renewable energy production.
PLN IP recently announced that it is looking for potential investment partners for its Proyek Hijaunesia 2023 project. The plan includes several large ground-mounted and floating solar power plants and wind farms.
