JAKARTA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government said Tuesday that the country would soon start exporting electricity from its solar power plants to Singapore, hoping to boost the development of the domestic solar panel industry.
The country's Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment revealed that five companies would supply the electricity, including PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk, PT Medco Energi Internasional Tbk and EDP Renewables.
"Five companies have received conditional approvals," said Rachmat Kaimuddin, the deputy for coordination of infrastructure and transportation at the ministry, in a talk show in Jakarta.
He said the companies signed inter-state agreements and would cooperate with Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PT PLN in providing the infrastructures, from transmission to electricity generators.
"We want the electricity exports to encourage the new and renewable energy industry in Indonesia and support the supply chain industry," Kaimuddin said.
Meanwhile, Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation from Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Eniya Listiani Dewi said the electricity capacity to be exported to Singapore would be 2 gigawatts, but any technical mechanism for the export was still under discussion.
"The sales quota target of electricity set by the Singaporean authorities is 2 gigawatts, and that requires around 5.5 gigawatt peak," Dewi said.
The plan to export electricity to Singapore followed a meeting of Indonesian President Joko Widodo with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Bogor Palace in West Java province on Monday. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed Indonesia's electricity export plan to Singapore and several investment opportunities. ■
