VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The use of renewable energy in Indonesia has only reached 0.3 percent of the total potential of the country, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has said.

Indonesia has clean energy potential of 3,64.4 gigawatts, comprising 3,294.4 gigawatts of solar energy, 94.6 gigawatts hydropower, 56.9 gigawatts bioenergy, 154.9 gigawatts wind power, 23.7 gigawatts geothermal energy, and 59.9 gigawatts marine energy, secretary of the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Sahid Junaidi, informed at an online discussion observed here on Monday.

Of the total potential, only 10,889 megawatts of clean energy has been utilized, comprising 194 megawatts of solar energy, 6,432 megawatts hydroenergy, 1,923 megawatts bioenergy, 154 megawatts wind power, and 2,186 megawatts geothermal energy, he said.

"In addition to renewable energy, a variety of new energy potentials are still little known, such as nuclear and hydrogen power," he added.

Junaidi said Indonesia's oil consumption is still higher than production, thus increasing the need for imports that lead to a trade balance deficit.

Given its big potential, it would be important for the country to optimize the use of new and renewable energy as an alternative energy source, he added.

"The goal is to reduce dependence on oil as fuel or other conventional energy sources," Junaidi explained.

The ministry has continued to strive to achieve the target to become carbon neutral based on five main principles, namely increase the use of clean energy, reduce fossil energy, increase the use of electric vehicles for transportation, increase the use of electricity for household and industrial sectors, and utilize clean technology for carbon capture and storage, he said.

In the past five years, the capacity of clean energy generation has increased by 1,469 megawatts, or 4 percent per year on average, he added.

During January to September 2021, the clean energy generation capacity has increased 386 megawatts and has been sourced from hydropower, mini-hydro, geothermal, bioenergy, and solar energy, he said.

In order to reach its ambitious target set out in the Long-Term Strategy on Low Carbon and Climate Resilience, the ministry has developed a roadmap that outlines the efforts needed for the development of new renewable energy, reduction of fossil fuels, and clean technologies application to achieve carbon neutrality in 2060, he added. (Antaranews)