It’s ‘reliable’ and low carbon. Will nuclear energy be the right fit for Indonesia’s future?

Major projects in the pipeline include the US$140-million floating solar-powered plant in the Cirata reservoir in West Java, which will cover 250 hectares and have a capacity of 145 megawatts when completed.

It could operate by year end, said Sondang Oinike Leonora, corporate secretary of Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Investasi, a subsidiary of state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara, which is developing the plant with Abu Dhabi company Masdar.

Amid all the ramp-up in renewable and new energy projects, there is still the matter of getting remaining pockets of Indonesians hooked up to electricity — communities such as Cilele village, just 50 km east of Jakarta.

Oman, a leader in the community of 5,000 people, cited reasons such as being in a forested area and the inability to afford electricity. The villagers’ average monthly income is less than 1 million rupiah (S$90), he said.

They use kerosene lamps, with some solar panels and batteries helping to power light bulbs at night. But villager Roanah, 47, wishes she could watch television regularly. Her current entertainment, she said, is “chatting with (her) husband”.

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