Jakarta. State electricity firm PLN has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two Chinese companies Huawei and SDIC Power. The signing took place during President Prabowo Subianto's recent visit to China. 

The MoU aims to help Indonesia achieve energy self-sufficiency and boost the country's transition to renewables. 

At the signing ceremony, Prabowo said that both Indonesia and China had developed strong partnerships in the energy sector. Indonesia also sought to be self-sufficient in energy by working with other countries, including China. 

"This collaboration opens a new chapter in Indonesia-China economic relations and becomes a strong foundation for various sectors, including energy and technology, to develop sustainably," said President Prabowo.

Likewise, PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said that the company sought to partner with global partners to achieve Indonesia's target of sustainable energy self-sufficiency. 

"We appreciate the strategic partnership with Huawei and SDIC Power, which continue to be our reliable partners for the development of green energy. This synergy underlines our strong commitment with international partners to increase energy independence which will be an economic driver for the Indonesian people," Darmawan said.

As part of the agreement with Huawei Tech Investment, both companies agreed to work together on a study to speed up digital transformation in the electricity sector. This collaboration will help optimize the electricity industry to be more efficient and have secure cybersecurity. It will also boost Indonesia's energy transition through the development of solar power, micro-grid systems, hybrid power plants, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

"This collaboration is not only to strengthen infrastructure but also as an effort to increase the capacity of PLN employees through knowledge sharing and capacity building in the digital transformation of power generation. This step is in accordance with our big energy transition agenda," PLN's director for corporate planning and business development Hartanto Wibowo said.

The deal with SDIC Power revolved around the Mamberamo hydropower project in Papua. They will also work on a joint study on the business, technical, legal, and risk aspects of this hydropower plant.

"With SDIC Power, we plan to strengthen PLN's technical and managerial capabilities in developing the Mamberamo hydropower plant. This collaboration is part of PLN's commitment to increasing the use of renewable energy while expanding access to clean and sustainable energy for the people of Papua and other regions," Hartanto said.