Awaluddin Hafid, general manager of Indonesia’s State Electricity Company (PLN) for South, Southeast, and West Sulawesi, announced on March 3 that the Selayar Hybrid Solar Power Plant (PLTS) will soon enter operation within the first half of this year. Located in the province of South Sulawesi, PLTS spans an area of around 1.46ha has a generation capacity of 1.3MWp. It is currently the largest PV power plant in the province. This story was first reported by Indonesian news outlets such as Antara and The Indonesian News.
The total investment in this project is estimated around IDR 39.5 billion (USD 2.747 million). Since the Selayar Islands Regency is a popular tourist destination, the Indonesian government wants to ensure a stable local supply of electricity while reducing local fossil fuel consumption that is associated with air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. With the new hybrid PV power plant, the Selayar Islands Regency will have a total generation capacity of 11.65MW to meet its peak load of 6.4MW. The power reserve will thus be expanded to around 5.25MW. Also, the new hybrid PV power plant is expected to contribute to a reduction of 1,400 tons in annual CO2 emissions.
PLN is currently increasing the share of renewables in Indonesia’s energy mix even as it operates hundreds of diesel-fired power plants across the numerous islands that make up the whole country. Indonesia is aiming to have renewables account for 23% of its energy mix by 2025.
Awaluddin said that in addition to environmental benefits and the increase in the reliability of the local grid, the new hybrid PV power plant will also bring economic opportunities to the surrounding communities and even become a notable landmark.