Getting to Know the Kayan Hydroelectric Power Plant as the Largest Hydro Power Plant in Southeast Asia

  • The construction of the Kayan hydropower plant is an example of collaboration between the central government and local governments in an effort to solve the energy crisis.
  • The Kayan hydropower plant, led by PT Kayan Hydro Energy, is expected to produce electricity with a capacity of 9,000 MW.
  • This hydropower plant will be used to power the Tanah Kuning International Industrial and Port Area (KIPI) in Bulungan Regency, as well as to boost national energy security.

National electrical energy needs continue to rise at a 6.9% per year, while the availability of fossil energy as a primary energy source for power plants declines. To meet national energy needs, the Indonesian government is accelerating the use of Renewable Energyy with the national use of EBT expected to reach 31% by 2050. The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) intends to develop a large-scale Renewable Energy Based Industry (REBID) program for Hydroelectric Power Plants.

This power plant uses water energy, which is one of the most important sources of energy for human life. One of the most important applications of water energy is the generation of electrical energy via a technology known as a hydroelectric power plant (PLTA). Hydropower uses the flow of water to turn a turbine. Because of its abundance, water is a renewable energy source. In Indonesia, the potential energy available from water is 45,379 MW out of a total of 75,091 MW. The Kayan hydropower plant is one of the hydropower plants in Indonesia.

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The construction of the Kayan hydropower plant is an example of collaboration between the central government and local governments in an effort to solve the energy crisis. The earth is getting older, so it must require new, environmentally friendly energy sources, right?

With the construction of the Kayan hydropower plant, the potential of water in Kalimantan for storing abundant energy has been realized. Rivers with large currents and sizes in Kalimantan are then processed and used as a source of electrical energy. Kalimantan is one of Indonesia’s regions with abundant natural resources, such as forests and large rivers. The river has the potential not only to be a mode of transportation, but also to be a large-capacity source of electrical energy.

The Kayan River is a major river in Indonesia, specifically in the province of North Kalimantan. The Kayan River rises from Mount Ukeng and flows into the Sulawesi Sea. The river stretches for 576 kilometers. The Kayan watershed covers 36,993.71 square kilometers. The length of the river flow is greater than when traveling by land from Jakarta to Semarang, or rather, the length of the river flow reaches 576 km and crosses two districts in Kaltara, namely Malinau and Bulungan.

And in the near future, the province of Kaltara will be remembered as the site of the largest hydro-based power plant in Indonesia, even in Southeast Asia. PLTA Hydropower 1-5 Kayan River is the name of the power plant.

It is the largest in Southeast Asia and outperforms the Son La Generating Dam, which has a capacity of 2,400 MW and is located on the Da River 340 kilometers west of Hanoi, Vietnam, the Kayan River Hydropower Plant has a capacity of 9,000 MW. This power plant will also break the record for the largest hydropower plant in Indonesia, the Cirata hydropower plant, with a capacity of 1,008 megawatts (MW). PLTA Cirata has eight generating units, each of which has a capacity of 126 Megawatts (MW).

The Kayan hydropower plant, led by PT Kayan Hydro Energy is expected to produce electricity with a capacity of 9,000 MW. Bulungan Regency, Central Kalimantan Province, is the site of the hydropower development.

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The Kayan river hydropower project will be built in stages beginning in 2019. The Kayan hydropower plant will begin phase 1 construction in 2019, with a capacity target of 900 MW. The PLTA Kayan 2 will be built one year after the PLTA Kayan 1. The electric capacity of PLTA Kayan 2 is expected to be 1,200 MW. The Kayan hydropower plant will then be built from the Kayan 3 hydropower plant to the Kayan 5 hydropower plant. This project took a total of 25 years to complete.

The construction of the Kayan hydropower plant necessitates a large sum of money, with investment funds of up to US$ 27 billion required. PowerChina and Central Asia Capital Ltd provided the funds.

The construction of the Kayan River Hydropower Plant is part of the government’s plan to diversify its energy sources, including water-based energy. The percentage of hydroelectric power plants (PLTA) that were operational in May 2019 was 7.61%. The remaining 9% are micro hydro power plants (PLTM), 6% solar power plants (PLTS), 5% wind power plants (PLTB), 5% waste power plants (PLTSa), and 0.04% ocean current power plants (PLTAL).

This hydropower plant will be used to power the Tanah Kuning International Industrial and Port Area (KIPI) in Bulungan Regency, as well as to boost national energy security.

Editor: Riana Nurhasanah

References:

Benoa. (2019). PLTA Kayan Dibangun, Berapa Kapasitasnya?. Diakses pada 22 April 2022, dari https://benoanews.com/plta-kayan-dibangun-berapa-kapasitasnya/

Indonesia. (2019). Pembangkit Hydro Terbesar itu Ada di Sungai Kayan. Diakses pada 22 April 2022, dari https://indonesia.go.id/kategori/indonesia-dalam-angka/971/pembangkit-hydro-terbesar-itu-ada-di-sungai-kayan

Indrawan, R. (2019). Jadi Terbesar di Indonesia, PLTA Cirata Mampu Pasok Daya 1.428 GWH Per Tahun. Diakses pada 22 April 2022, dari https://www.dunia-energi.com/jadi-terbesar-di-indonesia-plta-cirata-mampu-pasok-daya-1-428-gwh-per-tahun/

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