Jakarta. Indonesia’s state utility PLN has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil’s investment conglomerate J&F S.A. to conduct a joint study on developing hydropower plants, marking a fresh push to strengthen the country’s clean-energy transition.

The signing was witnessed by President Prabowo Subianto and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Jakarta on Thursday.

Prabowo called the partnership a strategic step between two rising economies in the Global South, aimed at expanding collaboration across multiple sectors.

“We are both fast-growing economic powers. As two Global South nations, this partnership carries strategic weight, and we both see this relationship as essential,” Prabowo said.

He added that the bilateral meeting with Lula was “intensive and productive,” with both leaders agreeing to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, technology, agriculture, and defense.

“We already have a defense cooperation agreement with Brazil, and this is moving toward ratification. In energy, we reached significant agreements between PLN and the private sector. We’re also expanding cooperation in science and research,” he said.

Lula emphasized the shared characteristics of Indonesia and Brazil as large democracies with fast-growing economies grounded in social justice. He stressed the need for balanced and future-focused cooperation.

“I came here with high expectations to renew our strategic partnership and form new agreements, not just on trade, but also investments in artificial intelligence, data centralization, deeper scientific and technological ties, stronger university cooperation, and most importantly, fair and mutually beneficial trade policies,” Lula said.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo thanked Prabowo for backing international partnerships that accelerate the country’s renewable-energy agenda, especially hydropower.

“This collaboration doesn’t just speed up hydropower development. It strengthens our commitment to cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable energy for all Indonesians,” Darmawan said.

Darmawan noted that hydropower remains a major pillar of Indonesia’s clean-energy strategy. Under the 2025–2034 Electricity Procurement Plan (RUPTL), the government targets an additional 11.7 gigawatts of hydropower capacity over the next decade. “We’re optimistic this partnership will be an enabler for accelerating hydropower expansion. Beyond sharing knowledge and technology, we’re taking shared responsibility to build a greener and more sustainable energy future for the next generations,” he said.