Prabowo Reveals Indonesia's Ability to Stop Fuel Imports in Five Years

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SUMEDANG -- President again alluded to the idea of energy self-sufficiency. That's one of the big targets of the current administration.

On various occasions Prabowo and his ministers discussed it. All strive to be energetically sovereign. Included in the case of the use of fuel oil (fuel).

“I have confidence in the next five years, we will not import fuel anymore,” the President said during the inauguration of 37 Electricity Projects at Jatigede Power Plant, Sumedang, West Java, on Monday (20/1/2025).

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia put full focus on what was targeted. When appointing the new Director General of Oil and Gas, he encouraged the acceleration of the increase in oil and gas lifting.

This is in order to limit imports in the coming years. At the event in Sumedang, his discussion of electricity. Of those 37 projects, 26 of them are power plants. Total installed capacity touched the 3.2 gigawatt (GW) figure.

“Brothers and gentlemen, it needs to be verified, perhaps this is the inauguration of the largest energy project in the world, 3.2 gigawatts at a time (power plant),” President Prabowo said as he addressed the inauguration procession.

He said it was the work of all the children of the nation. The fruit of the hard work of all agencies, institutions, institutions. Not forgetting he alluded to the role of the previous government. Government led by the 7th President, Joko Widodo.

“I think the 10 years he led, it's part of his hard work, the hard work of the government before the government that I led. Yes maybe this is my destiny and luck on the day, exactly the 3rd month, today I was sworn in 3 months ago October 20 (2024), now January 20 (2025). In the third month I can inaugurate a group of projects of this magnitude,” Prabowo said.

He reiterated the importance of acceleration in the field of energy for the transformation of this nation. Indonesia wants to be a developed, modern country. Its estuary goes towards improving the well-being of the whole people. Poverty is eliminated.

Therefore, Indonesia, according to Prabowo, must become an industrialized country. There's a mastery of technology there. Countries that can process natural resources into finished goods. At the same time, the focus of implementing energy transitions is maintained.

“For that reason I think we are now one of the countries that are probably among the most advanced in the field of energy transformation, into renewable energy, clean energy, green energy, reducing carbon emissions,” the president said.

A total of 26 of them are power plants. As already described, the total installed capacity, generating, 3.2 GW. The remaining 11 transmission and substation. The transmission length touched the figure of 739.7 kilometers of circuit, and the substation 1740 megawatts.

About 26 newly inaugurated plants, the investment value is about Rp 72 trillion. 89% of it is clean energy. It consists of gas and renewable new energy.

Minister of ESDM, Bahlil Lahadalia explained that currently Indonesia's total existing listrisk capacity is 101 GW. Then PLN manages 72-75 GW. Of these, approximately 15-16 percent were using EBT.

“Our actual planning target in 2025 should be 23 percent. That means we still have a deficit of roughly 8 thousand megawatts or 8 gigawatts. But with the conditions in place, God willing we will be able to pursue what is our target,” Bahlil said.

The Minister of ESDM also referred to the content of PLN's Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) for 2025-2034. There is a target of adding 71 GW of electricity. Then the network is approximately 48 thousand kilometers of circuits.

The construction of 71 GW of new plants, Bahlil said, will involve more private ones. About 60 percent. However, of course, after going through a mature verification process.

“But a credible private, a private that aligns with the government is not a private that makes additional moves beyond what the government does,” Bahlil said.

The same goes for the development of transmission. Make sure it will be done promptly. So the classic problem of all this time, is solved.

Bahlil assessed that the development of the network is not yet optimal. EBT potential that is far from central, difficult to build. In the future, the government is encouraging more use of green energy.