Indonesia's 1st Wind Turbine Power Plant Inaugurated in South Sulawesi
Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated the country's first wind turbine power plant in Sidrap (South Sulawesi) on Monday (02/07). This plant, which has a total capacity of 75 MW, consists of 30 wind turbine generators (which are the electrical machines used to generate the electricity).
Indonesia's first wind turbine power is projected to be able to supply electricity to 70,000 customers in the region of South Sulawesi, with an average electric power of 900 VA. The realization of the plant is part of government efforts to boost the role of renewable energy toward the country's energy mix. By the year 2023 it is targeted that 23 percent of energy in Indonesia stems from renewable sources such as wind, geothermal or solar.
The Sidrap plant is situated on a 100-hectares plot of land in South Sulawesi. The 30 wind turbine generators each have a height of 80 meters, while its propellers have a length of 57-meters. Meanwhile, the construction of the plant provided employment opportunities to around 1,150 people. And it was also mentioned that 40 percent of the materials (used to build the plant) had been sourced domestically.
In addition to the inauguration of the Sidrap plant, Widodo is also scheduled to inaugurate the Punagaya steam power plant (2x100 MW), owned by state-owned electricity firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), and the Jeneponto Expansion (2×135 MW), owned by an independent power producer, on Monday (02/07).
Muhamad Ali, Director of Human Capital Management at PLN, said the company is making efforts so that new power plants can immediately supply energy to the local community. Meanwhile, a new power source also implies that the investment climate in South Sulawesi becomes more attractive as one of investors' key complaints (across Indonesia) is the lack of sufficient energy supply.
These projects are part of the central government's aim to increase the nation's electrification ratio, which currently stands at around 96 percent, to 99 percent by 2019 (the electrification ratio in South Sulawesi has now reached over 99 percent).
Prior to the inauguration of the wind turbine power plant, Widodo handed over various land certificates to local people in Lapangan Andi Makkasau (in the city of Parepare in South Sulawesi).