Indonesia’s largest floating solar plant goes online

Indonesian state-owned utility PT PLN has started running a new floating PV plant in the Tambak Lorok area in the Indonesian coastal city of Semarang. With a peak capacity of 562 kW, the Tambak Lorok plant is operated by PLN subsidiary PLN Indonesia Power (PLN IP). PLN claims the installation is Indonesia’s largest floating solar array to date.

The floating plant is part of a larger 920 kW PV project under construction at the site of the Gas and Steam Power Generation Complex, which is operated by the company’s PLN IP Semarang Power Generation Unit. Built by PLN IP and its PT Indo Energi Hijau subsidiary, the floating PV plant was constructed over an eight-month period on a pond measuring 1 hectare. The company claims the plant will produce 1.4 million kWh a year, helping to reduce CO2 gas emissions by up to 1,304 tons.

PLN has already undertaken a number of initiatives to achieve that goal, such as the phase-out of coal-fired power plants, said PLN Managing Director Darmawan Prasodjo. Instead, PLN has started building new renewable energy plants. The company’s main strategy is shifting away from fossil-based generators to renewable energy-powered generators, he added.

The floating PV array is also part of the group’s efforts to optimize potential land that can be integrated with renewable energy generation.

PLN IP recently said that it is looking for potential investment partners for its Proyek Hijaunesia 2023 project. The plan includes several large-scale ground-mounted and floating solar plants, as well as wind farms.