Bali is arguably extra well-known than Indonesia itself, and it has gained much more reputation in recent times after the pandemic.
The historical past of tourism in Bali may be traced again to earlier than Indonesia obtained its independence; nonetheless, it was not till the Sixties that the mass tourism trade started. Primarily based on 2023 statistics, Bali’s gross home product from lodging, meals, and drinks – which is immediately linked to tourism actions, amounted to virtually 20 per cent. Whereas Bali is widespread attributable to a mixture of serene nature and its robust tradition, some elements of Bali have reworked into one thing else: arrays of seashore golf equipment, aesthetic cafes, hip eating places – all in want of extra vitality.
Bali’s annual electrical energy demand has quickly grown from 3.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) to about 5.8 TWh, together with the rising variety of annual guests from about 9 million to 17 million between 2011 and 2019. Nonetheless, fossil-fuelled energy vegetation nonetheless play a big function in Bali’s energy system, with nearly all of electrical energy technology coming from the 426-megawatt (MW) Celukan Bawang coal-fired energy plant, a complete of 659 MW of gas-fuelled energy vegetation, and a few remaining diesel energy vegetation. As well as, roughly 25 per cent of Bali’s electrical energy demand can be provided from the fossil-dense Java system via a 400 MW sea cable connection.
As a cluster of islands, Bali matches the traits of being an ‘energy-independent island’ – and particularly, a renewable vitality island. Denmark’s island of Samsø might be the preferred proof of idea. On the time they declared to rework their vitality system in 1997, their electrical energy got here from coal energy vegetation from mainland Denmark through undersea cable. Now they’ve wind generators, biomass energy vegetation, photo voltaic farms; managed by the group and primarily decreasing their emission very near zero.
To cement the dedication to the Bali Compact, the provincial authorities of Bali asserted the same intention: Bali will obtain a net-zero emissions goal by 2045 (Indonesia’s goal is 2060). The assertion was made on the peak of the Indonesia G20 Summit in 2022. It was then reaffirmed with its low carbon improvement plan (“RPRKD” with formidable state of affairs) and a declaration with a number of non-government organisations.
Nusa Penida pilot
Decarbonising Bali is definitely no straightforward feat and can take concentrated time and effort.
Beginning “small” is a part of the pathway: by first selling Nusa Penida, which lies to the southeast of the primary island, as a renewable vitality island. The island is part of the tiny subset of Tiga Nusa Islands (Nusa Penida, Lembongan, and Ceningan) and has been rising in reputation after the pandemic attributable to its relatively secluded location, pristine cliffs and seashores, and breathtaking diving spots. Because of a rise in tourism actions, Nusa Penida’s energy system skilled a deficit in 2023. The island continues to be very a lot fossil-powered; there are 13 diesel generator models totalling 12.4 MW of capability. It additionally has 3.5 MW of solar energy with batteries, constructed simply earlier than the 2022 G20 excessive degree summit.
Regardless of being a tiny island of solely 202.84 sq. kilometres, Nusa Penida boasts huge renewable vitality potential, placing the doubt of useful resource adequacy to mattress. The solar shines brightly with a relatively low precipitation, leading to a technical annual photo voltaic potential of 4.67 TWh of electrical energy – about 105 instances the island’s present electrical energy wants – solely through the use of out there area equal to three.2 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of capability.
Nusa Penida not solely presents alternatives for utility-scale improvement (equivalent to the three.5 MW showcase mission of Suana Photo voltaic Farm, which was arrange in 2022). It additionally invitations alternatives for enterprise homeowners and native communities, with an estimated 11 megawatt-peak (MWp) of rooftop photo voltaic potential set up from motels, authorities buildings, minimarkets, and village halls (balai banjar in Balinese).
Getting extra photo voltaic into the system can be an important first step in the direction of a 100 per cent renewable energy-powered island, with IESR modelling displaying the necessity to set up a complete of 21 MW of solar energy earlier than 2028 as essentially the most cost-effective pathway.
It could possibly be completed with the implementation of supporting applied sciences equivalent to vitality administration programs, upgrading round 53 distribution transformers to extra distributed photo voltaic, and putting in 30 MWh price of vitality storage programs.
Shifting additional alongside the pathway, enriching the island’s renewable portfolio with a further 3 MW of biomass energy vegetation is essential to shifting diesel’s operational function as a backup earlier than 2029.
Small-scale seawater pumped-hydro vitality storage could possibly be the ultimate piece in placing collectively a 100 per cent clear vitality system by 2030, offering a long-duration vitality storage possibility together with lithium-based batteries.
With Bali’s net-zero emission horizon set at 2045, reworking Nusa Penida right into a 100 per cent renewable vitality island is a key technique that additionally highlights the advantages of decentralised vitality entry for Indonesia as an archipelago.
Attaining this transformation requires a transparent, multi-stage vitality and energy system roadmap, together with robust political will and dedication. Contributions from a number of stakeholders are essential, together with nationwide and provincial governments, PLN (Indonesia’s vitality system planner and single-buyer utility), non-public builders, buyers, companies, and the grassroots communities of Nusa Penida.
Moreover, this initiative might function a residing laboratory for a nation nonetheless within the early levels of renewable vitality improvement.
Alvin Putra Sisdwinugraha is energy system and renewable vitality analyst and Marlistya Citraningrum is programme supervisor, sustainable vitality entry, at Institute for Important Companies Reform, Indonesia, a Jakarta-based suppose tank.
