Hitachi Energy’s microgrid powers Nusa Penida Island and G20 Summit in Bali

Hitachi Energy has successfully deployed a microgrid in Nusa Penida, Klungkung, Bali. This microgrid helped meet the ~20% surge in electricity demand during the recent G20 Summit in Bali and will continue to support demand from local customers. 

“Ahead of the G20 Summit, the microgrid supplied Bali with clean electricity. This demonstrates Indonesia's real commitment to supporting the energy transition which was an important discussion point in the G20 Summit,” said Darmawan Prasodjo, President Director PT PLN (Persero) “The project shows PLN's readiness to oversee Indonesia's energy transition to achieve the energy mix target and net zero emissions in 2060, as well as a form of the company's commitment to the principles of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in creating sustainable economic development," he added.

Deployed on an area of 4.5 hectares, the project development was carried out by PT Indonesia Power, subsidiary for Power Generation of PLN, to increase the reliability and sustainability of electricity supply in Nusa Penida, an adjacent island to Bali which is also becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination.

This 4MWp/3MW/3MWh microgrid is also part of PLN’s de-dieselization program to reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the shift to greener energy by replacing 5,200 diesel power plants (PLTD), which are currently still operating all over the country

"As a global technology leader, we take pride in this project and are delighted to support PLN in its commitment to secure additional reliable and sustainable power supply during G20 Summit in Bali,” said Predrag Grupkovic, Country Managing Director, Hitachi Energy in Indonesia.

Working in a consortium with PT Surya Energi Indotama (SEI), Hitachi Energy supplied the solution including: 3MW/3MWh e-meshTM PowerStoreTM Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and advanced e-mesh automation, which is expected to produce 6779 MWh annually, and reduce carbon emissions by 3,200 tons of CO2 per year.

“This project itself was very challenging due to the very short execution time of only 8 months. The island’s geography meant that the solar power plant had to be built on a steep limestone hill. Nonetheless, our field team integrated the solar farm with the existing diesel power generation and battery energy storage system to maximize renewable energy power supply and   lower the use of fossil fuels to move to a more sustainable produced energy,” Predrag explained. “This is a cross-stakeholder collaboration project in an effort to accelerate energy transition for a sustainable future in Indonesia,” he added.

The advanced control system within e-mesh also helps to maximize Nusa Penida’s hybrid solar power plant system performance. The combined solution delivers stable, coordinated operation of the BESS and solar PV with an existing diesel power plant. During the day, the BESS smooths out fluctuations from the renewable generation and enables load sharing to ensure efficient operation of the gensets. The e-mesh control layer also constantly monitors power operations for anomalies, and quickly dispatches the energy from the BESS to protect the island network.