Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of 515-Megawatt Poso Energy Hydropower Plant in Poso Regency and 90-Megawatt Malea Energy Hydropower Plant in Tana Toraja Regency, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, February 25, 2022
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalaamu’alaikum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh,
Good morning,
May peace be upon us all,
Distinguished Bapak Haji Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, the 10th and 12th Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, and Ibu Mufidah Jusuf Kalla,
Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, and Minister of State Secretary in attendance,
Distinguished Governor of Central Sulawesi Province and Regent of Poso,
Distinguished ranks of PT Kalla Group, the CEO, and its whole management, the big family of Bapak Haji Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, Head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin),
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This morning I am very happy. Why? Because we will inaugurate a hydropower plant, which means green energy, which means renewable energy.
We are aware that the world is currently pushing, urging, lending support to all countries to shift from using fossil energy, particularly coal, to using green energy. And we, thank God, have the potential energy of 418 gigawatts, which means 418,000 megawatts, in the form of hydropower like the one right here, geothermal energy of 29,000 megawatts, solar power, wind power, tidal power, ocean thermal energy conversion—we have everything in our country.
The question is how can we shift from coal to green energy? This is not an easy task because we already have too many steam power plants.
Once again, I highly respect, appreciate what Kalla Group has done in building hydropower [plants] in Central Sulawesi and those that will be completed in Mamuju regency and Kerinci regency in Jambi province.
We are aware about the targets that we have agreed with the world. By 2025, [the use of renewable energy] will have to make up 23 percent. By 2030, [we will have to decrease greenhouse gas emission by] 29 percent, and by 2060, we will have to achieve zero emission. These targets are not easy to achieve since we must continue to balance the growth of demands and electricity. We must avoid supply excess from the National Electricity Company (PLN) that can burden the PLN.
However, what I mean to underscore this morning is that we must pay attention to bureaucracy, especially in the PLN, President Director. There must not be any more complaints, as what Bapak Jusuf Kalla has said, that licensing negotiation took more than five years. No matter how perseverant people are to obtain license, if it takes more than five years to negotiate, they will get tired just from obtaining the license. They have not even worked on the ground yet.
Fortunately, Pak Jusuf Kalla and all management of Kalla Group are resilient. If not, they would have backed down. Five years to undergo a never-ending process. That is only for obtaining the license, not to mention funding from consortium banking. It is not easy.
Once again, I highly appreciate, Pak Jusuf Kalla, for the completion of the hydropower plant [construction] in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi province. I hope the next constructions can run smoothly so we can actually achieve our target of green energy and renewable energy because the industry has a very high demand to our country to obtain green energy.
That concludes my speech on this auspicious occasion.
And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, this morning I hereby inaugurate the 515-megawatt Poso Energy Hydropower Plant in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi Province and 90-megawatt Malea Hydropowerplant in Tana Toraja regency, South Sulawesi province.
I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(DH/EP)