TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif said that the government's project of a 10-megawatt peak (MWp) solar power plant is ready to operate in the Nusantara capital city or IKN in East Kalimantan next month. The solar plant is part of the 50-megawatt peak capacity that is being developed on 100 hectares of land in Sepaku District, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.

"The rest 40 MW will start its commercial operation date (COD) halfway through 2024," Arifin said in a statement on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

According to the minister, the 50 MWp capacity solar power plant will cover 10 percent of IKN's electricity. This development is part of an integral plan by the Indonesian government to pursue new renewable energy (NRE) utilization in IKN.

The Indonesian government, Arifin said, targets IKN to utilize NRE for at least 80 percent of its electricity. PT PLN, the state-owned electric power distributor, has provided Public Electric Vehicle Charging (SPKLU) stations in IKN to support the utilization of electric vehicles as the main transport method in the new capital city.

Natural gas would also be utilized as a clean energy source in IKN. The IKN Natural Gas Commercial Scheme was inked by the EMR Ministry and Pertamina Group back in September 2023.

ADINDA JASMINE PRASETYO

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