UAE’s Masdar Plans Expansion of Southeast Asia’s Largest Floating Solar Plant

 

The UAE’s renewable energy company, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, and Indonesian state-owned utility PLN signed at the COP28 climate summit collaboration agreements to move ahead with major development plans for Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar power plant and explore green hydrogen opportunities.    

The Masdar-PLN partnership has already resulted in the launch of Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar power plant, the 145 megawatt (MWac) (192 MW peak) Cirata project in West Java, Indonesia. The plant was inaugurated in early December and generates enough renewable energy to power 50,000 homes, while displacing 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Now the companies have signed a framework agreement to carry out a joint study to potentially triple Cirata’s capacity to up to 500 MW.

The companies also agreed to explore renewable energy options around the world and the prospect of developing green hydrogen, which has huge potential for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, including steelmaking, construction, transportation, and aviation, Masdar said in a statement.

“With abundant solar resources, the UAE and Indonesia are in prime position to become green hydrogen production hubs. Both countries have bold net-zero targets which the deepening cooperation between Masdar and PLN will help to support,” the UAE renewable energy firm said.

“As the world looks for urgent solutions to the climate crisis at COP28, we need more smart projects like Cirata. With its robust economy and abundant renewable resources, Southeast Asia is a key investment destination for Masdar,” Masdar’s chief executive officer Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said.

Early this year, Masdar entered the geothermal energy sector, through a strategic investment in Indonesia’s Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE), one of the world’s largest geothermal players.

ASEAN member state Indonesia is the world’s second-largest geothermal market.