Heaptalk, Jakarta — Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR), one of Pertamina’s upstream subholdings, plans to build a Rokan solar power plant to support its business operations. This initiative demonstrates the Pertamina Group’s commitment to reducing emissions and utilizing new renewable energy. The solar power plant also manifests the Group’s support for the Indonesian Government’s net zero emission target by 2060.
The construction will involve Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (PRNE) and Pertamina Hulu Energi, another upstream subholding. The solar power plant will consist of 64,000 solar panels spread over a 28-hectare area of PHR. With a capacity of up to 25 MegaWatt peak (MWp), the plant will be located in PHR’s oil and gas operation areas, including Rumbai, Duri, and Dumai in Riau Province.
As articulated by Fadjar Djoko Santoso, Pertamina‘s Vice President of Corporate Communication, being at the forefront of the energy transition, Pertamina is promoting the use of new renewable energy, primarily for its existing businesses. A prime example of this is the installation of solar panels at PHR, a move that is set to establish the largest solar power plant in Indonesia.
Extended capacity to 200 MWp
“The solar power plant will support operations in the Rokan working area, as a showcase of clean and environmentally friendly energy use, which also has benefits in promoting business optimization,” Fadjar said in a written statement.
In more detail, the construction of the Rokan solar power plant includes the method of installing solar panels on the ground (ground-mounted) and on rooftops (rooftop-mounted). The energy captured by these solar panels is then converted through an inverter, producing electricity that can be utilized for operations in the Rokan Working Area.
In the long term, the Rokan solar power plant will reduce emissions by up to 23,000 tons of CO2 per year and gas fuel consumption by 352 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) per year. The use of environmentally friendly energy has the potential to generate efficiencies of up to US$4.3 million per year.
Fadjar added that the 25 MWp solar power plant is the first phase. Pertamina will continue the construction of the Rokan solar power plant in the second phase, which is planned to reach up to 200 MWp. “The solar power plant is now operating to support energy security for Indonesia,” he concluded.
