Indonesia’s state-owned oil giant Pertamina and The Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development of the Pertamina Sustainable Energy Center in North Penajam Paser District, East Kalimantan Province.
According to a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat's Press, Media, and Information Bureau on September 22, the MoU was signed as an effort to help the government achieve the net-zero emissions goal.
Nicke Widyawati, President Director of Pertamina, said, "This MoU is a manifestation of Pertamina's support for the government's efforts to achieve the net-zero emissions target by 2060."
Widyawati outlined several major challenges that Indonesia should tackle to succeed in achieving the net zero while placing emphasis on the importance of a sound level of management.
One of the challenges concerns the need to obtain advanced technology, while the other pertains to the need to nurturemore talents that can manage and optimize the technology to maximize the potential of Indonesia's rich natural resources.
Advanced technology and capable human resources can help the country in optimizing its natural resources to meet the domestic need for energy, she explained.
Widyawati also highlighted the need for Indonesia to be able to empower its workforce with skills and expertise that align with the use of new and renewable energy in future.
"Our workforce is still dominated by those in the fossil-based energy sector. Therefore, we should provide our talents with a new set of skills that is in line with the future energy, so they do not get laid off," she siad.
Furthermore, Widyawati expressed hope that both parties would soon be successful in developing the Pertamina Sustainable Energy Center, "We would like to thank OIKN for providing a considerable area of land, so we can jointly develop this center."
Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo drew attention to nation's vast potentials earlier, stating that the country possess the geothermal potential of 24,000 MW, 95,000 MW of hydropower from 4,400 rivers in the country, 169,000 MW from solar panels, and 68,000 MW of wind power.
