Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant 192 MWp, Purwakarta Regency, West Java Province, November 9, 2023

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
May prosperity be upon us all.

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed al Zeyoudi, Minister for Foreign Trade United Arab Emirates,

Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, Acting Governor of West Java Province, Regent of Purwakarta, President Director, Commissioners, and Directors of state-owned electricity company PLN,

Distinguished Chairperson and Leaders of Commission VII of the House of Representatives,

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, all beloved children.

Today, history has been made, because our big dream to build a large-scale new renewable energy plant has finally come true. We have succeeded in building a floating solar power plant, which is the largest in South-East Asia and the third largest in the world.

Cirata dam has already had a hydropower plant with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW), and now, it is supported by the floating solar power plant with a capacity of 192 megawatts peak (MWp). In the future, it can be maximized to approximately 1,000 MWp. So, the hydropower plant can also support green energy. I am happy and proud witnessing the Cirata floating solar power plant has been completed as a result of the cooperation between the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, and PLN, as well as under the collaboration with the global power, that is, Masdar from the United Arab Emirates.

I would like to encourage the use of all potentials of new renewable energy in Indonesia. I am confident that we can do it, as we’ve already had the technology. For instance, we can also have a wind power plant in the solar power plant here. During the process, the weather may pose challenges, but we can manage to control it by building a smart grid, so the electric supply can still be stable although the weather is changing. We can also overcome another challenge of having the location of the new renewable energy far from the center of electric use. We can come up with the solution of building transmission line, and later every potential of new renewable energy in the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi can be distributed to the economic centers.

Excellency, Indonesia and the UAE have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations. Thank you for the close ties between our two countries and thank you for your investment in Indonesia. Please send my warmest regards to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed and his family. Thank you.

And by saying bismillahirrahmanirahim, this morning, I hereby inaugurate the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant 192 MWp in Purwakarta Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(AY/MUR)