State electricity company PT PLN is operating the biggest solar power plant (PLTS) with a capacity of 600 kW in the outermost island of Morotai in North Maluku.
The company`s director for Indonesian eastern region operations, Vickner Sinaga, said in a press statement received here on Sunday the operation of the PLTS would reduce oil consumption by an average of 800 liters daily or save about Rp2.5 billion a year.
“The PLTS began operating yesterday or Saturday,” he said.
He said PLN would continue improving its service across Indonesia by prioritizing the use of alternative energy sources especially for the Indonesian eastern regions.
He said the operation of the PLTS will also help support the implementation of the Sail Morotai 2012 which is to be held from May to June.
Recently PT PLN operated a 350kW solar power plant at the peak period in the Sebatik island in East Kalimantan bordering Malaysia and another 100kW on Miangas island in North Sulawesi close to the Philippines.
The operation of the PLTS is part of the company’s plan to distribute electricity to 100 outermost islands using 100 percent solar power with the target of achieving it by October 28, 2012.
PLN also expects 1,000 islands across Indonesia will have used solar energy as the source of their power plants by 2014 at the latest.
