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New Zealand-Maluku Access to Renewable Energy Support (NZMATES) conducted a Technical Assessment and Sustainability Survey of Solar Power Plants (PLTS) at Lelingluan and Watmasa in the Tanimbar Islands Regency (KKT) from 17 to October 2023. This was undertaken to provide the local government (Pemda) and relevant stakeholders with the latest information on the current status of the PLTS assets in the region. The technical assessment of PLTS assets was carried out, along with considerations for future utilisation by the local community.
NZMATES initiated the surveys and assessments starting from PLTS Bomaki, Tutukembong, Lelingluan, Watmasa, and finally Adaut. In these five locations, we assessed assets, including the current condition of electrical infrastructure, system specifications, technical specifications and the condition of installed equipment, key safety issues, electrical testing of PV components, electrical load assessment, and economic, social, and cultural characteristics. The sustainability analysis sustainability aspects and the implementation of current policies. At the end of the report, recommendations were provided.
The finding revealed several considerations for the future management of these PLTS. For example, due to the current simplicity of PLTS management in Watmasa and Lelingluan and the lack of real support from the local government. Therefore, the operation and maintenance (O&M) of these PLTS require support from the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda). As For the PLTS Adaut, Tutukembong, and Bomaki, our technical assessment suggested immediate decommissioning of the systems and the removal of assets from the regional asset list according to local regulations. This should be followed by PLTS waste management, as some components are no longer viable physically and electrically. To prevent fires and environmental contamination, special attention must be given to battery waste, which falls under the hazardous waste category (B3).
PLTS Lelingluan and Watmasa
PLTS Lelingluan and Watmasa were refurbished in December 2022 by the Directorate of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Currently, the Lelingluan PLTS operates effectively, providing electricity to residents of RT 6, 7, and part of RT 8 in Lelingluan Village with 24-hour service. A total of 125 houses and 3 schools (public facilities) currently rely on electricity from the PLTS, with each household and school receiving a power supply of 300 Wh/day. Residents mention receiving two lights with a capacity of 10W each and one socket for each house.
PLTS Lelingluan was refurbished in December 2022 by the Directorate of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). Initially, when the PLTS was revitalised, the PLN (State Electricity Company) service had already been introduced and was operating 24 hours a day. This overlap of project locations between PLN and EBTKE resulted in one house receiving two electricity supplies, from both the PLTS and PLN. After the revitalisation, the PLTS was used to meet the electricity needs of residents living near the PLTS, mainly low-income households, specifically in RT 6, 7, and part of RT 8. Currently, a total of 125 houses and 3 schools (public facilities) are served by the PLTS, with each house and school receiving 300 Wh/day. The facilities provided include two 10 W each and one socket for each house.
The daily energy consumption of all customers is 38.4 kWh, with the system capacity being 75 kWp. SolarGIS data estimate the average daily PV output from the system at PLTS Lelingluan to be 315.2 kWh/day, providing sufficient reserve capacity for additional loads in the village. The environment and PLTS system are well maintained by the committee and operators.
There are two PLTS operators assigned there, but the challenges are due to limited technical knowledge and the lack of regular training. This often leads to difficulties in the operation, maintenance, and replacement of PLTS components. The agreed service tariff is also low, and not all customers consistently pay their monthly electricity contributions, resulting in insufficient budget for maintenance and upkeep. This poses a risk of system failure in the short term, as the monthly fee of Rp. 10,000 per household is still not enough to cover the operators' salaries.
The condition of PLTS Watmasa is somewhat similar to that in Lelingluan. Located in Watmasa Village, Wua Labobar District, Kepu Tanimbar Islands Regency, Maluku Province, was revitalised in December 2022 by the Directorate of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. According to the operator, after revitalisation, the PLTS initially operated 24 hours a day. However, after almost 6 months, the operational hours decreased to 6-8 hours a day. Residents reported the same issue, with electricity from PLTS shutting off at midnight, suspected due to depleted battery storages.
The total daily consumption in Watmasa Village is 35 kWh/day with a system capacity of 15 kWp. Based on SolarGIS, the average output from a PV system is 55.9 kWh/day, suggesting the system should still be able to power the village for 24 hours. There are indications of significant power loss from PLTS. These losses could be due to several factors, including dirt or dust accumulation on the panels reducing PV performance, weather changes, poor cable or connections between components, and the operator knowledge gaps in system maintenance. Additionally, electrical disruption or issues in the power network, such as loss in the energy limiter, and suspected electricity theft by the community exacerbate the problem.
The assessment identified challenges in the sustainability of PLTS, including a lack of available tools, technical capacity among operators in operation, maintenance, and component replacement, and the low user tariff with inconsistent contributions. Monthly fees per house is Rp. 5,000, which is still insufficient for covering operator remuneration. Moreover, the absence of a specific budget allocation for maintenance and care increases the risk of system failure in the short term.
PLTS Bomaki, Tutukembong, and Adaut
PLTS Bomaki, Tutukembong, and Adaut based on NZMATES observations were built using the budget of the Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy (EBTKE) in 2015 and completed in 2016. When the NZMATES team visited the three locations in 2023, it was found that these PLTS were not operational due to the absence of operators. Many components, such as solar panels, inverters, and batteries, were either stolen or damaged. The condition of the wiring was also poor, with many cables deteriorated and disconnected. The environments around these three PLTS were highly neglected, overgrown with grass and vines, covering components, especially the solar panels and lightning rods.
PLTS Bomaki, it was discovered that in 2017, PLN UP3 Tual (at that time, the Tanimbar Islands area was under UP3 Tual) was directed by PLN Central to operate the system after coordination with DJEBTKE. This PLTS was initially designed to operate in a hybrid manner with PLN's diesel power system (PLTD), but in reality, the PLTS and PLTD systems could not interconnect, so PLN only operated the PLTS off-grid.
After a few months of operation by PLN, they ceased to run the system because they did not own the assets and felt no responsibility for them. Moreover, there was no written document from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to PLN regarding the management of the PLTS assets. For PLTS Tutukembong and PLTS Adaut, no informants were available on-site to provide information about the system's operational history. However, during the NZMATES team's first visit in 2019, it was found that PLTS Adaut and PLTS Tutukembong had also been operated by PLN but not for long.
Lesson learned from this situation is the necessity for close coordination between the central and local governments regarding the planning of renewable energy power generation systems. This ensures proper asset management and financial management for the operation of the power systems.
