Industry’s Role in a Clean Future

Bandung, January 25, 2024 – Indonesia is blessed with abundant natural resources and committed to achieving the Net Zero Emission (NZE) target by 2060 or earlier. The industrial sector is crucial in this energy transition towards a sustainable future. Based on data from the Ministry of Industry (MoI), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industrial sector in Indonesia reached 238.1 million tons of CO2 in 2022. 2015-2022, it reached 8-20% of the total national GHG emissions. The most significant contributor to emissions comes from industrial energy use. 

Reflecting on these conditions, the West Java Energy Exploration team continued to visit several industries on the third day to see the utilization of renewable energy. PT Kahatex, PT Surya Energi Indotama, and Pertamina Geothermal Energy Area Kamojang show how industry can be central in utilizing renewable energy.

Reducing Emissions from the Garment Industry Production Process with Renewable Energy

The apparel and garment industry, particularly those involved in the global brands’ supply chain, must improve their production processes. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) requires the industry to measure the carbon emissions produced during manufacturing.

Dedi Supriadi, Sustainability Compliance of PT Kahatex Majalaya, mentioned that the textile industry is competing with international brands to reduce emissions and increase the use of clean energy technology.

“From 2021, we (Kahatex Majalaya, red) installed rooftop solar power plants as much as 15% of the installed power capacity. From installing this solar PV, we managed to reduce emissions by around 40%-50% from 7,567e-1 CO2/unit to 3,190e-1 CO2/unit,” explained Dedi.

Kahatex has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas emissions and is now looking into utilizing other renewable energy sources to reduce its carbon footprint further. Since 2022, the company has been exploring biomass as a source of heat energy, which involves co-firing with coal. Since 2023, PT Kahatex Majalaya has been using 100 percent biomass to meet its heat energy requirements for production.

Solar Energy Illuminates the Earth of Indonesia

Director of Engineering & Operations, PT Surya Energi Indotama (SEI), Fajar Miftahul Falah, explained that SEI, as a subsidiary of PT Len Industri (BUMN), is responsible for developing renewable energy, particularly solar energy. Fajar stated that the business itself was the most significant challenge SEI faced since its establishment. Many people doubted its existence as a solar company at the beginning of its establishment. The high price of solar power and the belief that Indonesia was not ready to accept the offer made it even harder. However, with the acceleration of solar energy technology development, the price of solar PV has become more affordable. SEI has been in the solar power plant industry for over 15 years, with a total installed capacity of over 60 MW throughout Indonesia.

“Approximately 70% of the solar power plant construction projects we are currently working on are situated in Disadvantaged, Frontier, and Outermost (3T) areas or areas near them. Solar PV in these areas is challenging due to difficult terrain, making it hard to access the sites and creating safety concerns,” said Fajar. 

Operational room on PT SEI

Fajar mentioned that building solar PV in the 3T area is costlier than in other regions like Java. However, many believe the cost is the same in all areas. The fact is, while solar PV is affordable, the budget required to build it is expensive.

“We have been working on several solar PV projects, such as the Nusa Penida hybrid solar PV in Bali with a capacity of 4.2 kWp, the Merak Executive Terminal rooftop solar PV with a capacity of 324 kWp, and the Bakauheni Executive Terminal rooftop solar PV with a capacity of 192 kWp. Our main focus is on renewable energy, and we hope to contribute to Indonesia’s goal of achieving the NZE target by 2060 or earlier,” Fajar said.

 

Geothermal to Reduce Emissions

Raindrops welcomed the team from Jelajah Energi West Java upon their arrival at PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) Kamojang Area. PGE is a PT Pertamina (Persero) subsidiary under the Upstream Directorate, which manages geothermal energy production from exploration activities to steam and electricity generation. The Kamojang geothermal energy sources are located in Ibun District, Bandung Regency, West Java, surrounded by beautiful pine forests.

Yustinar Uli, a representative of the PGE team, explained that PGE Kamojang Area became a pioneer of geothermal exploitation in Indonesia with the drilling of the first geothermal exploration well by the Dutch in 1926-1928. PGE Kamojang Area began operations on January 29, 1983, marked by the PLTP Unit 1 Kamojang operation.

“PGE constructed several units leading up to the PLTP Kamojang Unit 5 operation in 2015. Currently, PGE operates PLTP Kamojang Units 4 and 5 with a capacity of 60 MW and 35 MW, respectively. Meanwhile, PLTP Kamojang Units 1, 2, and 3, which have a combined capacity of 140 MW, are operated by PLN,” said Yustinar. 

Yustinar reported that the geothermal plants in the Kamojang area have a total installed capacity of 235 megawatts (MW). This is equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by 1.2 million tons annually. The electricity generated from these plants is absorbed by PT PLN and distributed through the Java Madura Bali (Jamali) electricity interconnection system.

Mangroves for the Community

Cirebon, 26 January 2024 – South Kesunean is one of the coastal areas in the Kasepuhan Village area, Lemahwungkuk District, Cirebon City. Located on the coast, the South Kesunean area experiences threats in the form of abrasion or tidal flooding. Realizing this, people of Kesunean Selatan started planting mangroves to prevent this abrasion.

The need to maintain mangroves is not running smoothly considering that some of the local people have a habit of piling up rubbish and turning it into waste land. Emerging land is a phenomenon where residents deliberately collect rubbish, then pile it up on the coast until it becomes solid and forms new land to be used as a residential area.

Considering its location on the coast, a number of residents who are members of the RW 09 Kesunean Selatan mangrove Working Group (Pokja) have made various efforts, including educating local residents not to pile up rubbish and make land emerge again in the area around the mangrove forest. Even though public awareness is starting to awaken to no longer hoarding rubbish, there are still people who cut down mangrove trees for firewood, and step on small mangrove trees when going to sea.

Pepep Nurhadi, Chair of RW 09 South Kesunean and administrator of the Kesunean Mangrove Working Group, hopes that the South Kesunean mangrove forest can survive and even develop further.

“We hope that this mangrove can develop into a kind of ecotourism site so that the surrounding community can directly benefit socio-economically,” said Pepep.

For this reason, the South Kesunean Mangrove Working Group is open to collaboration and assistance from various parties. Since 2023, the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) through the Generasi Energi Bersih (GEB) community has carried out collaborative observations and assessments that can be carried out with the residents of South Kesunean.

After discussions with the local community, several things were identified, namely planting mangrove seedlings and caring for them, making a mangrove track (a kind of bridge) so that fishermen going to sea no longer step on mangrove seedlings, as well as increasing the capacity of local residents through training in ecoprint batik with dyes, mainly natural mangroves resourced.

To invite the involvement of more people, the Generasi Energi Bersih community is opening donations for the development of the South Kesunean mangrove area to become an ecotourism area via the following page.

Building a Framework for Understanding Mutual Cooperation on Renewable Energy

Bekasi, 23 January 2024 – Human life cannot be separated from various types of energy use. Starting from the household scale for cooking, to the utility scale such as power plants with a capacity of hundreds of megawatts. Even though energy utilization activities are carried out every day, understanding and literacy about energy still needs to be built, especially regarding the use of renewable and cleaner energy sources.

The Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) actively collaborates with various parties to continue to build understanding and capacity regarding the energy transition, one of which is through the Jelajah Energi program. Jelajah Energi is initiated by IESR, as an effort to document various good practices for using renewable energy in society and in the industrial sector.

Deon Arinaldo, IESR Energy Transformation Program Manager, in the introductory workshop on Jelajah Energi Jawa Barat (Jelajah Energi chapter West Java), stated that a deep understanding of the energy transition and its benefits for the environment as well as socio-economic benefits is the motivation to drive community participation in the energy transition process.

“It is hoped that proper public understanding of the use of renewable energy can provide full support in implementing clean energy-based solutions,” said Deon.

In the same forum, the Head of the West Java Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office, Ai Saadiyah Dwidaningsih, said that the Jelajah Energi Jawa Barat activity was a relevant relevant to the current situation in West Java which had recorded 23.41% of renewable energy mix by 2023.

“West Java has a renewable energy potential of 192 GW, ranging from solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro and wind. However, of this 192 GW potential, only 3.41 GW or still around 2% has been utilized,” said Ai.

Ai added that the activity will provide an experience to understand and know the development of this energy transition in Indonesia, especially in West Java, so it is hoped that cross-sector collaborative initiatives or input will emerge after.

After the introductory workshop, the Jelajah Energi trip began with a visit to the Bantar Gebang Waste Power Plant (PLTSa) unit. PLTSa Bantar Gebang is located at the Bantar Gebang Integrated Waste Disposal Site (TPST) and is one of the largest waste disposal sites in the world.

The Bantar Gebang PLTSa unit is a pilot project belonging to the DKI Jakarta Regional Government. Currently PLTSa Bantar Gebang produces around 750 kWh of electricity per day. The electricity produced is used for the operations of PLTSa and Bantar Gebang TPST, and uses around 300-450 kWh.

Harun Al Rasyid, Deputy Operations Manager for PLTSa Bantar Gebang, stated that there is a lot of excess power so it is necessary to think about options for using this excess power.

“Because we are not connected to the grid, now excess power is wasted,” explained Harun.

Apart from being used as PLTSa fuel, waste from the Bantar Gebang TPST is also used as refuse derived fuel (RDF). Ari Prihantono from the Nathabumi PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk team, said that RDF is a cost-effective alternative fuel.

“Waste sorting is the biggest challenge in the RDF supply chain process. Improving this sorting process is the key to improving the RDF supply chain. If we can sort from the start, we can cut the costs of centralized sorting,” said Ari.

PLTSa Bantar Gebang also produces paving blocks from Fly Ash Bottom Ash (FABA), the combustion residue from PLTSa. From 100 tons of waste per day, 10 tons of usable FABA can be produced.

Exploring the Benefits of Renewable Energy in Tanah Pasundan

Bandung, January 24, 2024 – Renewable energy promotes sustainability and minimizes environmental impacts. In West Java, Indonesia, there is a growing focus on increasing the usage of renewable energy. According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (ESDM) of West Java Province, the region has a renewable energy potential of 192 GW (gigawatts).

The West Java Provincial Energy and Mineral Resources Office, in collaboration with the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), organized a four-day event named West Java Energy Explore from January 23 to January 26, 2024. The purpose of this event was to closely examine the renewable energy developments in the industrial and community sectors in Central Java. On the event’s second day, the group visited two renewable energy plants owned by PT PLN Nusantara Power. Later, the group went to PLTMH Gunung Halu in West Bandung Regency to visit a village.

Hydropower and Solar PV: Two Renewable Energy Sources that Complement Each Other

Cirata Hydroelectric Power Plant is one of the hydroelectric power plants that contributes significantly to providing clean energy in West Java. Ristanto Handri W, Senior Officer of PJB UP PLTA Cirata, explained that the plant has a 500 kV Java Madura Bali interconnection transmission system.

“This hydropower plant, built in the 1980s, has eight power plants with a total capacity of 1,008 megawatts (MW). This hydropower plant is the largest in Indonesia and second in Southeast Asia (after hydropower plants in Vietnam, ed),” said Ristanto.

Meanwhile, Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant (Solar PV) proves solar energy can be integrated into West Java’s energy portfolio. Dimas Kaharudin, Operations Director of PT Pembangunan Jawa Bali Masdar Solar Energy (PMSE), said that the Cirata floating solar power plant has an electricity production capacity of 192 megawatt peak (MWp) and has the potential for additional capacity up to 1000 MWp. 

“To keep the solar panel islands from moving, we use anchors. Each island requires 150 anchors located on the edge of the island. One island can produce up to 15.7 MWp. This solar PV proves that clean energy can compete economically with fossil energy,” Dimas said.

Dimas emphasized that a combination of hydropower and solar power plants in one area, such as the Cirata Floating Hydropower and Floating Solar Power Plant managed by PT Pembangkit Jawa Bali (PJB), can maintain a stable electricity supply.

“During the dry season, hydropower plants tend to have low production, whereas the solar power plants have high production. Conversely, during the rainy season, solar power plant production decreases while hydropower production increases. As a result, we can maximize its benefits by utilizing renewable energy in Cirata during both seasons,” Dimas said.

Gunung Halu Microhydro: Empowering Micro Energy for Local Communities

Local wisdom encourages understanding the surrounding natural patterns that have proven to empower the community, for example, in Tangsijaya Village, Gununghalu Village, Gununghalu District, West Bandung Regency, West Java. The residents of this village use and process river currents to generate electrical energy through the Micro Hydro Power Plant (PLTMH).

The operator of Gunung Halu Hydro, Toto Sutanto, explained that this Gunung Halu Micro Hydro has a capacity of around 18 kWh, which can provide electricity to 80 houses in Tangsijaya Village. Not only does the electrical energy from the micro hydro provide electricity for dozens of homes, but it also supports the operation of the coffee factory, which is the center of the village’s economy.

“We utilize the river water discharge of 400 liters/second and a head of 8 meters. The electricity generated from the micro hydro is channeled to residents’ homes, which are only charged Rp 25,000 per month. Meanwhile, public facilities, such as schools and mosques, as well as the homes of elderly residents, are not charged for electricity,” said Toto.

Water Drives Coffee Production in Tangsi Jaya Hamlet

Bandung, January 24, 2024 – A relaxed atmosphere and raindrops soaking the ground welcomed the Jelajah Energi West Java team when they arrived at the Gunung Halu Microhydro Power Plant (PLTMH). The winding journey, which took about 3-4 hours from Purwakarta, brought the team to a location that embodies innovation and empowerment of the local community. Gunung Halu Microhydro Power Plant (MHP) is one of the micro-hydro energy empowerments managed by the local community. By utilizing the abundant potential of river water, this micro hydro power plant can generate electricity sustainably without producing high carbon emissions. 

The operator of Gunung Halu MHP, Toto Sutanto, explained that before installing the micro hydro, Tangsi Jaya Hamlet’s residents needed more access to electricity and basic amenities like lighting, refrigerators, rice cookers, and televisions. The hamlet relied on oil lamps to illuminate their homes. The lack of infrastructure, distance, and a small population were some of the reasons that prevented the electricity network from entering the hamlet before 2000.

“The residents in the area took the initiative to use the current of the Ciputri River to generate electricity using a simple water wheel for ten years due to certain conditions. Later, the West Java Provincial Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office recognized and assisted the micro hydro power plant potential. As a result, the residents can now enjoy clean and affordable electricity,” explained Toto. 

Toto emphasized that this micro hydro has helped the village become more self-sufficient by adopting renewable energy and providing lighting and electricity that support the daily lives of its residents. The management of the micro hydro plant is now in the hands of cooperative residents. Following the micro hydro installation in Tangsi Jaya Hamlet, the electricity network of PLN entered the hamlet. However, most residents still prefer to use electricity from the micro hydro.

“Around 80 out of nearly 100 households in Tangsi Jaya Hamlet prefer using electricity from micro-hydro as it is more affordable and reliable. The remaining households use electricity from PLN or a combination of both. Micro-hydro electricity costs approximately Rp25,000 per month, compared to PLN’s electricity fee, which can reach up to Rp50,000 per month. However, public facilities are not charged for utilizing electricity from micro-hydro, nor are the elderly,” said Toto.

According to Toto, the micro-hydro power plant installed in the area provides electricity and promotes the preservation of the surrounding nature. The power plant requires a steady flow of water from the Ciputri River. As a result, the residents are discouraged from clearing the forest around the hamlet since doing so would affect the river’s flow and power generation. Therefore, preserving the forest plays a crucial role in maintaining the steady flow of water, which powers the micro-hydro.

“Gunung Halu Micro Hydro plans to expand its operations by adding a more widely utilized unit. The new micro hydro unit is scheduled to be constructed in February 2024, and it will be able to produce 30 kilowatts of electricity. With a significant increase in capacity, the electricity generated from the new micro hydro unit will be fully allocated to meet the residents’ electricity needs,” explained Toto.  

Toto mentioned that the existing micro hydro would be shifted to supply power for the coffee processing industry run by residents. Tangsi Jaya’s success in achieving energy self-sufficiency utilizing energy sources from micro-hydro has made the hamlet a pilot for MHP development. To ensure the longevity of the micro hydro, Toto has entrusted the responsibility of maintaining it to the young locals. They must collect fees and guarantee smooth water flow by removing obstacles.

Harvesting Coffee from Renewable Energy

The Tangsi Jaya Hamlet relies on microhydro to power their daily activities and coffee production. When the Jelajah Energi West Java team visited the coffee processing center, they were greeted by the irresistible aroma of coffee. Toto explained that Gunung Halu coffee had two types: arabica and robusta. They are processed using light roast, medium roast, and dark roast methods and several variants such as natural, honey, full wash, and wine.

“The micro hydro system supplies electricity to the coffee factory for processing. The factory uses only 12 kWh of electricity when all machines are running. If the electricity supply is insufficient due to the machines being used, we prioritize the factory’s electricity needs over the residents. However, so far, we have never had to cut off electricity supply to the residents,” added Toto.

Toto said that the coffee processing center was initiated with the support of Darma Persada University (Unsada) through the energy and economic independent village program. The excess power of 3 kW was utilized to promote the use of renewable energy in the financial sector. In 2017, the coffee management center received a donation worth Rp1.98 billion from Japan to implement a circular economy that can contribute positively to social, economic, and environmental aspects of life.

“Currently, coffee processing continues, and the cooperative always encourages empowering the surrounding community. For example, we offer women employment opportunities during harvest and strive to pay a premium price for the coffee we purchase from the farmers. This approach is intended to encourage them to take better care of their plants and the surrounding forests,” said Toto.

Half-hearted Indonesian Climate Policy and Action

Jakarta, 30 January 2024 – The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has declared 2023 as the hottest year. Historical records show that the earth’s temperature continues to increase from year to year. To keep the earth’s temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees, experts have recommended ensuring the world reaches peak global emissions in 2030 and must fall in the following years.

The use of fossil energy is one of the largest contributors to emissions in the world. Executive Director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), Fabby Tumiwa, said that Indonesia needs measurable and real action for transitioning away from fossil energy.

“Based on the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) assessment, Indonesia has not shown a reduction in emissions, in fact it will experience an increase in emissions in 2022 and one of the causes is an increase in coal consumption used for down streaming. Indonesia’s rating even dropped from ‘highly insufficient’ to ‘critically insufficient’. The most important thing is real steps to accelerate the transition in this decade,” emphasized Fabby.

Indonesia, as one of the top 10 emitting countries in the world, actually received a bad record with Indonesia’s climate ranking dropping to the lowest level according to the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) assessment framework.

Delima Ramadhani, IESR Climate Policy Project Coordinator, said at the launch of the Climate Action Tracker report that throughout 2023, Indonesia has delivered a number of initiatives and policies that normatively support the acceleration of the energy transition, but this does not have implications for efforts to reduce emissions.

“Indonesia’s rating dropped from ‘highly insufficient’ to ‘critically insufficient’. ‘Critically insufficient’ means that if countries have climate commitments like Indonesia, the rate of global warming will be at the level of 4 degrees,” said Delima.

Mustaba Ari Suryoko, Intermediate Policy Analyst, Coordinator of the Aneka EBT Program Preparation Working Group, responded that the assessment of emissions reduction efforts is a reminder for all parties to continue working to achieve emissions reduction targets.

“Achievement number figures are an accumulation of various variables, so we hope that in planning we will not only determine ambitious targets but also make efforts to achieve them,” he said.

Anna Amalia, Functional Intermediate Planner at the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), said that to pursue Indonesia’s more ambitious climate targets there are several opportunities.

“The government is starting to move progressively, in the next 20 years we will have a RPJP (National Long Term Development Plan-ed) which focuses on reducing GHG emissions, how we encourage economic growth through low emission corridors and of course other policies will follow,” Anna said.

The annual Climate Transparency report also includes an Implementation Check Report to see the effectiveness of climate policy implementation.

Akbar Bagaskara, IESR’s Power Sector Analyst, explained that Indonesia’s electricity sector is in the medium category because the implementation of policies that support the transition in the electricity sector has not been effective.

“Historically, in the last five years we never achieved our annual renewable energy target. We need to strengthen policies to strengthen Indonesia’s renewable energy enabling environment, as well as involving various groups in the planning, procurement and evaluation processes,” explained Akbar.

Yosi Amelia, Forest & Climate Program Officer, Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan, highlighted the lack of synchronization of strategies across ministries and government agencies which created unclear documents that should be treated as guidelines.

“There are inconsistencies between documents, for example regarding Indonesia’s deforestation quota. In the FOLU Net Sink 2030 strategy, there are no longer deforestation quotas, while the E-NDC still provides deforestation quotas,” said Yosi.

Communities Build Sustainability-Based Businesses

Cirebon, 26 January 2024 – On the fourth day, the West Java Energy Exploration team continued their journey to Cirebon. Precisely in South Kesunean, Kasepuhan Village, Lemahwungkuk District. There, the group moved towards the shoreline to plant mangroves. South Kesunean has one problem, namely the emerging soil phenomenon. This raised land appears due to the accumulation of rubbish on the shoreline which is compacted to form new land.

This habit of residents threatens a mangrove ecosystem which functions to resist sea abrasion. For approximately one year, a group of Kesunean residents took the initiative to form a Working Group (Pokja) to care for the mangrove area located in their area.

The West Java Energy Exploration group visited the Kesunean mangrove area to participate in planting mangroves as an effort to restore mangrove forests.

Pepep Nurhadi, Chair of RW 09 South Kesunean, as well as chair of the South Kesunean Mangrove Working Group (Pokja), said that the presence of mangroves in South Kesunean plays an important role in preventing flooding and abrasion as well as protecting coastal ecosystems.

“For this reason, we thank all parties who have supported us in this mangrove planting effort. “We hope that in the future our area can become an ecotourism area so that it can be more beneficial for local residents,” he said.

 

Karya Nugraha Jaya Cooperative Pioneers Sustainable Dairy Farm:

People and communities continue to look for ways to use renewable energy technology. In the landscape of micro businesses and cooperatives, community groups such as the Karya Nugraha Jaya Producers Cooperative strive to ensure that livestock operational processes can be clean and sustainable.

The Karya Nugraha Jaya Cooperative is a dairy farming cooperative located in Cipari Village, Cigugur District, Kuningan Regency, West Java, founded in 2004 and has around 4000 cows with a cooperative membership of 100 farmers. This cooperative is motivated to organize clean and sustainable livestock farming.

Iding Karnadi, Chairman of the Karya Nugraha Jaya Cooperative, said that the first thing that was initiated was the installation of a biogas reactor to process cow dung waste.

“Initially, dairy cow dung was an environmental problem, apart from being dirty, it also smelled bad. Finally, we collaborated with ITB to create this biogas installation,” he said.

The biogas installation was finally installed with a production capacity of 100 m3 of gas per day. The gas produced is used for electricity needs for water heating on farms. It doesn’t stop there, the Karya Nugraha Jaya Cooperative also installed hybrid solar panel installations on farms and feed factories amounting to 56 kWp.

“For the feed factory, we currently fully use electricity from PLTS amounting to 40 kWp, no longer using electricity from PLN,” said Iding.

Iding then continued that his party continues to look at other opportunities to make its livestock cooperatives more advanced and adopt more sustainable practices. Currently, the party is collaborating with ITB to treat livestock wastewater. In the future, the management of this cooperative hopes that the location of this cooperative will become an educational tourist attraction about Sustainable Dairy Farms.

Just Energy Transition: Corporate Responsibility for Post Mining Environment and Economic Recovery

Jakarta,  24 January 2024 – Energy has become our primary need. Therefore, transitioning from fossil to renewables will impact the livelihood of every community. Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) believes in an inclusive and just energy transition for Indonesia, that will involve every single community in the process. 

Coal and mining industry had been the biggest economic contributor for coal producing regions. However, many have predicted the energy trends for coal will soon decrease and will also impact coal demands from Indonesia. 

“Coal and mining sectors do contribute to regional economic growth, especially through the revenue shared fund. Nevertheless, this sector also contributes to the negative impacts, not only to our environment, but also to the people. Coal corporations should be involved in a just transition, both in coal producing regions and other regions,” said Wira in his opening remarks in The Just Transition Dialogue: Identifying the private sector role within social and economic development, Jakarta (24/01).

According to Wira, corporations should play their role to reduce the negative impacts through reclamation, post mining activities and community development to ensure the continuity of economic activities after the coal mines have been closed. 

Sulistiyohadi, Associate Mining Inspector/Coordinator of Civil Servant Investigator Mineral and Coal presented reclamation activities that took place since the exploration and production phase. In addion to that, post mining activities have been submitted since the production phase. He further explained several reclamation techniques, including land utilization, revegetation and land maintenance.  

“There are several activities to rehabilitate voids from mining activities, including slope stabilzation, mine void security, rehabilitation of water quality, water management and the maintenance of mine void,” said Sulistiyo.

Thriving to be one of the post mining activities case study, Yulfaizon, the General Manager of PT Bukit Asam Ombilin Mining Unit shared their experience to ensure the mining region can be useful for the environment and communities. Ombilin mine was the oldest mine in Indonesia, operating since 1892 during the Dutch Colonization and was retired in 2016.

Yulfaizon shared several post mining activities that were conducted by PT Bukit Asam, including: development of Sawahlunto Zoo, Establishing a research site of underground coal mining, and Lobang Mbah Soero Museum.

Driving the Energy Transition from the Sub-National Level

Semarang, 19 December 2023 – The annual Climate Summit (Summit) held in Dubai in November – December 2023 resulted in a number of global agreements, one of which was an agreement by 118 countries to transition and abandon fossil fuels. This agreement was born partly due to pressure from countries experiencing the impacts of climate change. 2023 was recorded as the hottest year in history.

In his opening speech for the Central Java Renewable Energy Acceleration Forum, Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) stated that the simplest thing to ensure the energy transition occurs is to add renewable energy capacity to the energy mix. To massively add renewable energy capacity requires significant investment costs and comprehensive enabling conditions.

“The complex and expensive energy transition can only occur if there are enabling conditions, including rules and regulations, support for public and private partnerships, community initiatives, and investment. Currently, to achieve the RUED target, regional funding capacity is still insufficient, so it is necessary to encourage investment,” said Fabby.

Head of the Central Java Province Energy and Mineral Resources Service, Boedyo Dharmawan, said that his party had contributed to achieving the target of 23% of the national renewable energy mix by 2025.

“In 2023, Central Java Province achieved a regional renewable energy mix of 21.2%. We will continue to encourage this capacity addition in the coming years. Apart from that, we also encourage energy conservation practices through energy and water saving movements, in government agencies and also in business entities, including energy audits,” he said.

Tavip Rubiyanto, Middle Expert Policy Analyst on Energy Substances and Mineral Resources, Directorate of SUPD I, Directorate General of Regional Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, highlighted the role of the entire OPD sector in matters of managing renewable energy in the regions.

“From the start, the ESDM Service had to coordinate with related agencies such as Environment, Transportation and Planning Services. So that RUED can be integrated into the RPJMD. “It does take effort to convince and provide understanding for Bappeda to support this EBT target, but that is what must be done,” said Tavip.

In terms of investment trends, Indonesia is becoming a global investment destination even though currently there are still several investment challenges. This was conveyed by Purwo Wiyatmanto, Head of Sub-Directorate for Promotion Strategy Analyst/ Middle Expert Investment Management, Ministry of Investment/BKPM.

“Investment in the new renewable energy sector is also increasing in demand. The increasing need for energy is also accompanied by an increasing share of renewable energy. Indonesia’s new renewable energy share of around 14.5% (below the ASEAN average) is a challenge in itself, but this is also an opportunity for growth,” he said.

From an industrial perspective, there is actually a need for clean electricity produced by sustainable energy sources. This need becomes stronger if an industry enters the global brand supply chain. Rudi Cahyono, Energy Carbon Manager, PT Selalu Cinta Indonesia (SCI) said this pressure was because his party was included in the supply chain of the footwear industry which is marketed globally.

“We are committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2030 as a consequence of our entry into the global supply chain. By 2024, the target is that we can reduce our carbon footprint by 99%,” said Rudi.

Sakina Rosellasari, Head of the Central Java Province One Stop Investment and Integrated Services Service (PMPTSP), added that her agency continues to actively promote projects that are ready to be developed by investors.

“Central Java is open to green investment, not only labor intensive, but also green economic management,” he said.

Apart from investment on an industrial scale, the use of renewable energy at the community level also needs to continue to be encouraged. Yanto, Head of Banyuroto Village (one of the Energy Independent Villages), Magelang Regency, stated that there is a lot of renewable energy potential on a small scale that can be utilized on a communal scale with the support of the local government.

“Future plans, we, the village government, are trying to increase the amount of biogas in the community, around 100 biogas digesters at least in the next 5 years and budget it in the (village fund) APBDes and are ready to collaborate with related agencies, campuses and other parties,” he said.

With 34 biogas digesters spread throughout almost the entire Banyuroto Village area, this digester has helped the welfare of the community since 2007, starting from cooking needs (reducing household cost), lighting without converters and zero waste from the results of the biogas process (solid and liquid fertilizer, bioslurry).

In 2023, the national government will make a number of important notes in the development of renewable energy. The revision of the National Energy Policy (KEN) document and the inauguration of the Cirata Floating PLTS are among the major points in the energy transition process this year.

Adimas Pradityo, Business and Commerce Development Manager, PLN Nusantara Power said that in 2024 there will be PLTS development in Central Java with a capacity of 140 MW in several locations including Batang and Pemalang. Adimas also shared PLN Nusantara Power’s experience in developing the Cirata floating PLTS.

“(One of) the challenges is explaining the PLTS concept to regulators. We really have a bottom up approach in licensing the development of the Cirata Floating PLTS,” he said.