Indonesia's state-owned utility and battery producer have launched a 5MW battery energy storage system (BESS) pilot project as it seeks to move away from diesel-generated power.
Does Indonesia need battery storage?
Indonesia aims to convert 250MW of diesel-generated power to renewable energy this year and will need battery storage to do this successfully. Image: PLN. Indonesia's state-owned utility and battery producer have launched a 5MW battery energy storage system (BESS) pilot project as it seeks to move away from diesel-generated power.
Subsidiaries of PLN involved in the Battery Energy Storage System project happen to be the primary electricity providers in Indonesia, such as PT Indonesia Power, PT Pembangkitan Jawa China, and others. The plan to develop an energy storage system aligns with the positive growth in the renewable energy industry.
Is energy storage developing in Indonesia?
IESR has issued a report for the first time assessing the development of energy storage in Indonesia in Powering the Future: An Assessment of Energy Storage Solutions and The Applications for Indonesia.
There, the global system integrator Fluence recently turned on a 20MW/20MWh grid-connected BESS as part of a 1,000MW portfolio in development and construction for power company SMC Global Power. Indonesia's current pipeline of energy storage projects is mostly pumped hydro, totalling 4,063MW according to IHS Markit.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids is also building a solar microgrid with 2MWh of storage deeper within Indonesia's territory at a coal mine, as reported by Energy-storage.news in early 2021. The country is further behind its neighbours like The Philippines on implementing battery storage projects.
Surabaya, Indonesia Sentinel — Surabaya, the capital of East Java, has been selected as a pilot city for energy transition and efficiency efforts in Indonesia. The city officially launched its building sector decarbonization program on April 16, 2025, under the Sustainable Energy Transition in Indonesia (SETI) initiative.