Arriving at PLTS Cirata
Delegates began the day before dawn, boarding buses at 6:00am for an early morning journey to PLTS Cirata in West Java. The reward for the early start was immediate: a USD 145 million view of Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar installation, stretching across 250 hectares of the Cirata Reservoir. Thirteen floating islands of solar panels shimmered across the water, co-located alongside a 1,008 MW hydropower station. For many delegates, seeing 145 megawatts of floating solar in person was the moment the week’s conversation stopped being abstract.
Understanding the Plant and Its Challenges
The visit was hosted by Respati Adi Katmoyo, Outreach and Stakeholder Manager at PT PMSE – the joint venture between PLN subsidiary PT PJBI and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar that developed and operates the plant. Pak Adi opened with a candid picture of Indonesia's energy reality: a nation of 280 million people, with 87% of its energy mix still coming from fossil fuels, and a net zero target set for 2060. He also walked delegates through the operational challenges of the plant. Output can drop by up to 95% in severe weather. The first six months of operations produced outages from cable faults, ground failures, and in one case a bird strike. There are 60,000 illegal fish ponds on the reservoir where only 7,204 are permitted ones, creating ammonia and H2S levels that cause periodic mass fish deaths. It was an honest piece of information which was responded to by the delegates with some of the most substantive questions of the week.
The plant produces 250 to 300 GWh of electricity annually and avoids up to 214,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Its construction created up to 1,800 jobs and has since opened up new floating and solar panel industries across Indonesia. Pak Adi also acknowledged Australia as one of the two countries with a strong history of supporting Indonesia’s electricity sector, framing the bilateral relationship as one with genuine and growing opportunity, particularly as solar costs continue to fall.
CAUSINDY Collab Session 2
Following the visit, delegates gathered on site for the second CAUSINDY Collab session. Yesterday’s and morning’s visit fed directly into their work, with groups incorporating what they had seen and heard into their proposals with a level of specificity and confidence that had grown noticeably since Day One. Ideas were sharpened, directions were redefined, and in some cases groups pivoted entirely based on what two days of direct observation had surfaced. The site visit had done exactly what it was designed to do, bringing the week’s theory and policy conversation to life and giving delegates concrete material to work with.
Session: Solar Development in Indonesia with Xurya Daya Indonesia
The afternoon brought an online panel with Adhi Laksamaputra, Vice President Commercial at Xurya Daya Indonesia, moderated by CAUSINDY Director David Scholefield. Adhi presented Xurya’s work as Indonesia’s leading distributed rooftop solar platform, reinforcing a message that had run through the week: the barriers to solar deployment in Indonesia are no longer technical or economic – they are structural. The 2023 regulatory changes have materially improved the investment environment, and off-grid development is now the next significant frontier. His closing line was direct, “Sometimes a small step is still progress” he noted.
Closing Reflections
After a quick photo session in front of the solar panels with the reservoir stretching out behind them, delegates boarded the bus back to Bandung. They returned with more than just a memorable view. The day had given the conference its most concrete material yet, grounding the week’s policy discussion in operational reality and equipping delegates with first-hand insight that would directly shape their work in the coming days.