Indonesia Targets 100 GWp Solar Power Programme to Electrify Off-Grid Villages
Bali, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia has launched a strategic 100-gigawatt peak (GWp) solar power programme aimed at providing electricity to villages and remote areas that remain without access to the national power grid.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said the initiative was designed to fulfil President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to ensure that all villages have access to electricity. Under the directive, the ministry has been tasked with providing around one megawatt of electricity for each village.
Speaking at the launch and groundbreaking ceremony for the programme in Gilimanuk, Bali, Bahlil said the 100 GWp initiative would bring electricity to communities that currently remain without power.
He cited the example of a village in Sumatra where a one-megawatt electricity supply supported by state-owned PT Pertamina (Persero) had already transformed local economic activities. Access to electricity enabled residents to establish cold-storage facilities for their fish catch, helping improve the efficiency of fisheries operations and strengthening livelihoods.
President Prabowo formally launched the strategic programme at the Gilimanuk Operations Monument in Jembrana, Bali. The ceremony was conducted simultaneously with events at the Gajah Mungkur Floating Solar Power Plant in Wonogiri, Central Java; the Sembur Village Solar Power Plant in Batam, Riau Islands; and the Rengit Island Solar Power Plant in Bangka Belitung.
The Bali solar power facility has a capacity of 198 megawatts peak (MWp), supported by a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a storage capacity of 666 megawatt-hours (MWh). The project covers approximately 211 hectares and is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
According to PT PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo, the Bali project is also intended to support the complete phase-out of fuel oil in the province’s electricity system through the integration of solar power generation and battery storage.
The government has positioned the 100 GWp programme as a major component of its efforts to expand electricity access, particularly in underserved communities, while accelerating the development of renewable energy across Indonesia.
