Remote Microgrids for Energy Access in Indonesia—Part I: Scaling and Sustainability Challenges and A Technology Outlook

Abstract

Although Indonesia’s electrification ratio reached 99.2% in 2020, it has shown stagnating electrification since 2018. This is because most of the remaining areas that need to be electrified are remote and have unique characteristics that hamper implementation of microgrids for providing energy access. Furthermore, not only the deployment but also the long-term sustainability of microgrids is crucial for ensuring continuity of energy access. This paper aims to investigate the scaling and sustainability challenges of remote microgrid development in Indonesia by analyzing microgrids in the Maluku and North Maluku provinces. This study is a two-part publication; the first part focuses on identifying challenges in Indonesia’s remote microgrid development, while the second part focuses on potential technology solutions. In the first part, an assessment of energy access within a multi-tier framework was conducted, which was then analyzed using a multi-dimensional (institutional, social, technical, economic, environmental, and policy) approach adapted from the literature. The framework was expanded by mapping the challenges onto specific phases of the microgrid development, which is intended to be helpful for the parties involved in specific phases. It is shown that the challenges related to unclear land status, lack of social engagement, preliminary survey, technical and practical knowledge, and O&M procedures—especially for remote microgrids with renewable energy sources—are the most prominent issues. Additionally, issues caused by electrical events and environmental conditions such as relatively humid and high-temperatures, and uncontrolled vegetation, rodents, insects, and lizards are often found. Furthermore, a high-level technological outlook to address some of these issues is presented.

Impact of Long Distribution Cable to the Harmonic Distortion in Indonesia Remote Microgrids

“…In the case of Indonesia, many remote and isolated microgrids spread throughout thousands of islands [9]. These systems are categorized as small systems with a peak load lower than 10 MW and there is neither plan for building big power plants nor a grid connection.…”

“…Although they have a certain limit of allowable power, the electricity consumption in some parts of Indonesia is still limited. For instance, a study on a region in Indonesia, Maluku and North Maluku, shows that more than 50% of the assessed population only consumes less than 3,400 Wh/day with the electricity availability that is less than 16 hours/day [9]. In error remote areas, simple residential appliances such as lighting, entertainment and communication are the primary loads.…”

A critical evaluation of DC microgrid implementation in Indonesia: opportunities and challenges

“…The electrification rate in Indonesia has increased significantly in recent years, with a predicted annual increase [1]. Nonetheless, progress on electrification has stagnated since 2018, particularly in rural and remote areas [2]. This deficiency is emphasized by the fact that Indonesia's rural electrification coverage totaled 40%, much below the regional average [3], even though the country had reached a 99.2% electrification rate by 2020.…”

On the Importance of Power Quality in Solar Home Systems for Energy Access

“…In short, the MTF [1] describes electrification in five (or six, if tier 0 with no electricity is included) different tiers, where the lowest category describes situations in which few low power appliances such as LED lamps can be used, and the highest tier illustrates energy provision systems of at least 8.2 kWh and 2 kW peak power ratings [2]. The MTF does not only describe power and energy ratings however, as it also expresses the electricity's availability, reliability, quality, affordability, legality, and safety measures (see also [3] for the MTF in the context of Maluku, Indonesia).…”