PAPUA – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) revealed that Indonesia has the potential for large renewable energy resources or ‘clean’ energy in this case Hydropower Plants (PLTA) in the Papua region. Unmitigated, the hydropower potential can reach 8 Giga Watt (GW) to 10 GW.
Plt. Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (Dirjen EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jisman P. Hutajulu said Papua has the potential for large water energy sources. But unfortunately it has not been followed by absorption or demand in the region.
“We are in Papua, we will open it later, there is a large hydropower potential there and the demand is not yet there and the Minister has thought about it, immediately utilized and one of them is for hydrogen and ammonia, the study is made,” explained Jisman at the inauguration of the Hydrogen Refueling Station (HRS) in Senayan.
Meanwhile, Jisman revealed that currently there are other countries that ‘glance’ at the potential of hydropower in Papua, which he mentioned the country is Japan. However, the Rising Sun Country wants if the hydropower potential in Papua can be built at an affordable electricity price.
“I was talking to the hydrogen handler earlier, that the Japanese side already wants as long as the electricity price is probably around, if I call it around 4 cents, it is still absorbed for the hydrogen price,” explained Jisman.
Furthermore, Jisman said that the hydropower potential contained in Papua is no joke, even up to 10 Giga Watt (GW) in magnitude. That way, his party is currently thinking about how this potential can be absorbed, one of which is by building industries in the region.
“So there is great potential. The figure is 8-10 GW so the demand is small there. There are two ways whether we will bring the industry there when we want to build a very large hydropower plant there. Because the bigger the economics, the lower the electricity price. This is also whether our industry comes in for hydrogen production and then maybe added with ammonia and can be exported or for domestic use like this, some for transportation, some for our power plants,” he said.
