(Photo Doc.: Dewan Energi Nasional)
BP Batam Head Bureau for Public Relations, Promotion, and Protocol, Ariastuty Sirait, stated that BP Batam still opens its invitation for investment in Renewable Energy, as an effort aligning with the Indonesian government’s vision for sustainable development. Sirait said that BP Batam has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two companies in 2021; one being Indonesian locally-owned and another from overseas, adding that the MoU has yet to be binding, meaning it is still possible for other enterprises to sign up for the investment.
Batam, Sirait explained, has the competitive edge of being a city of many factories as energy consumers. Moreover, adds Sirait, Batam has a distribution network to the neighbouring Bintan Island, which is also an Indonesian Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and Special Economic Zone (SEZ), as well as an opportunity to supply for its next-door economy, namely Singapore.
(Dams Managed by BP Batam, source: BPBatam.go.id)
BP Batam will facilitate ease of access for research, study, or building permits for floating solar power plant investment, and offer the seven dams managed by BP Batam to be utilised for such purpose.
Through a Government Regulation, Indonesia first announced its energy usage resolution of 23% by 2025 in 2014. The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources stated that, by end of 2021, Indonesia has achieved 50% of its 2025 target. The Indonesian government, however, has, many times, emphasised its commitment in realising its commitment to provide renewable energy, targeting to accomplish 15.7% renewable energy portion in 2022.
Such effort includes inviting potential investors to invest in renewable energy in Indonesia, which was amongst The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Panjaitan’s agenda during his visit to Elon Musk’s office in Texas, United States. In fact, Indonesia’s state-run electricity company, the PLN, has started auctioning new and renewable energy projects this year.