Prabowo Targets 100 GW Solar Power Buildout in Two Years
Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto says Indonesia will accelerate the development of renewable energy, including a plan to build 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity within the next two years.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, Prabowo said the government has instructed a special task force on renewable energy and energy conservation to fast-track the large-scale solar program.
“We will carry out very rapid development of solar power. The plan is to build 100 gigawatts, which we target to complete within the next two years,” Prabowo said.
The president described the project as a strategic step to accelerate Indonesia’s energy transition and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels while strengthening national energy security.
According to Prabowo, the solar power expansion will require about 100,000 hectares of land. The government has already identified large areas suitable for development, including around 67,000 hectares in West Java.
Prabowo said the government is also considering land owned by state forestry company Perhutani, which controls about 800,000 hectares across Java.
“I received a report from the land minister that in West Java alone we have around 67,000 hectares of land. Of course we will evaluate how it can be used,” he said.
Beyond solar energy, Prabowo said the government is promoting alternative fuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol. Agricultural commodities including palm oil, sugarcane, cassava and corn are expected to play a larger role in producing bioethanol as a substitute for gasoline.
Indonesia is also seeking to expand geothermal and hydropower development to strengthen long-term energy resilience, he added.
In the near term, the government is banking on several newly discovered gas reserves to support domestic energy supply.
Prabowo highlighted a major gas field discovered in the Andaman Sea off Aceh that is being developed by Mubadala Energy.
The project could support plans to build a natural gas pipeline network connecting northern Aceh to other parts of Sumatra and eventually to Java.
The president also said the government will soon advance development of the Abadi gas field in the Masela Block in the Arafura Sea near Maluku.
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Government’s Playbook for Expensive Oil: Biofuels, Strategic Reserves, and Budget DisciplineThe project is expected to produce about 9.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually, along with 150 million standard cubic feet per day of pipeline gas and around 35,000 barrels of condensate per day.
Production from the Masela project is targeted to begin in 2029.
Prabowo said Indonesia continues to explore additional gas reserves in other regions, including Papua, as the country prepares to navigate potential global energy supply disruptions.
“These energy resources are important capital for Indonesia as we face possible global energy pressures in the coming years,” he said.
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