Country for PR: United Kingdom
Contributor: PR Newswire Europe
Tuesday, August 03 2021 - 16:00
AsiaNet
Masdar joint venture reaches financial close and starts construction on Indonesia's first utility-scale floating solar power plant
ABU DHABI, UAE, Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

- Cirata Floating Photovoltaic Power Plant scheduled to begin commercial 
operation in Q4 2022

- 145-megawatt (ac) plant being developed by PT. Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Masdar 
Solar Energi – joint venture between Masdar and PT PJBI

Masdar, one of the world's leading renewable energy companies, and PT PJBI, a 
subsidiary of Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PT PLN, announced 
today that financial close has been achieved on the Cirata Floating 
Photovoltaic Power Plant project and construction work has begun.

Financing for the project, Indonesia's first floating solar power plant, was 
arranged through Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Societe Generale, and 
Standard Chartered Bank. The 145-megawatt (ac) plant is being developed by PT. 
Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Masdar Solar Energi (PMSE), a joint venture between 
Masdar and PT PJBI, and is expected to begin commercial operation in the fourth 
quarter of 2022. 

"The Ministry of Investment fully supports the investment realization of the 
Cirata Floating Solar Project by PT. PJBI and Masdar. This is a flagship 
project of the UAE's investment in Indonesia, and most importantly, it is in 
line with the Indonesian Government target in renewable energy mix of 23 
percent by 2025," said His Excellency Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Investment 
for the Republic of Indonesia and Chairman of the Indonesia Investment 
Coordinating Board. "This project represents the UAE's first investment in 
Indonesia's renewable energy sector, and we look forward to further 
collaboration between our countries, as we leverage our natural resources to 
build a more sustainable future."

"Reaching this historic milestone demonstrates the strength of the relationship 
between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates," said His Excellency Abdulla 
Salem Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of 
Indonesia and the ASEAN region. "The UAE is committed to promoting and 
investing in clean energy projects around the world, and to taking positive 
action on climate change. We stand together with Indonesia on driving 
sustainable development and we will continue to support the nation's clean 
energy transition." 

The plant, set to be the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia and one of the 
largest in the world, is being built on the Cirata reservoir in the West Java 
Province. Once completed, it will provide enough electricity to power 50,000 
homes, and will offset 214,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and contribute 
to the creation of up to 800 jobs. Throughout the development of the project, 
Masdar has conducted a series of social initiatives, raising awareness on 
sustainability issues and strengthening local community engagement. 

"This achievement would not have been possible without the constant support of 
the Government of Indonesia, our lenders, and our strategic partnership with 
PJBI and PT PLN, who have been with us on every step of our journey," said 
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar. "The designation 
of this project as a National Strategic Project (PSN) has been invaluable in 
enabling us to make such significant progress and demonstrates that the 
Government recognizes the economic and social benefits the Cirata project will 
bring to the local community and to all of Indonesia." 

"This floating power project is a first for Indonesia, and is also a 
significant step in PJBI's renewable energy journey," said Amir Faisal, 
President Director of PJBI. "We see tremendous potential for similar projects 
in Indonesia and we look forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration with 
Masdar to work on more renewable energy projects and help our nation achieve 
its clean energy objectives." 

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, is targeting 23 percent of 
its energy mix coming from renewables by 2025 under its Electricity 
Infrastructure Acceleration Program. The government also recently announced 
that it aims to increase the proportion of renewable power in its 2021-2030 
national electricity plan to at least 48 percent, from 30 percent in its 
previous plan. 

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1586314/Masdar.jpg

Source: Masdar City