Jakarta, ThedailyID — Some of Indonesia’s hydropower plants have operated for more than a century, making them among the country’s longest-lasting energy assets, state utility PLN said on August 5, 2026.
PLN Project Management and New & Renewable Energy Director Suroso Isnandar said hydropower plants last much longer than most other power facilities.
One example is Lamajan Hydropower Plant. Workers began construction around 1920. They completed the project in 1923, and the plant started generating electricity in 1925.
“When I was a university student, orientation activities often took place near Lamajan Hydropower Plant. It was already very old back then, and it is still operating today,” Suroso said at the Indonesia Hydropower Summit in Jakarta.
Suroso also highlighted Cirata Hydropower Plant, which has an installed capacity of 1,008 megawatts (MW). The plant has supplied electricity to the Java-Bali grid for more than 35 years.
He also pointed to Saguling Hydropower Plant, which has a capacity of about 700 MW. It continues to operate reliably, he said.
Suroso said hydropower generates renewable electricity from flowing water. It also provides stable baseload power and produces far lower carbon emissions than fossil fuel plants.
Acting Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (METI) chairman Norman Ginting said hydropower can complement the government’s plan to install 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power.
“The 100-gigawatt solar program can work together with hydropower plants to provide reliable, clean, equitable, and accessible electricity across Indonesia,” Norman said.
Indonesia’s 2025-2034 Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) includes 315 hydropower and mini-hydropower projects with a combined capacity of nearly 11.7 GW.
Private developers will build 262 of those projects, while PLN and its subsidiaries will develop the rest.
