New partnership to boost access to solar-powered electricity for thousands in Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

September 10, 2020

Villagers in the remote part of Indonesia gather outside their home. About 20-thousand people in Indonesia and Timor-Leste will receive much-needed electricity from the newly launched UNDP Indonesia ACCESS project.

Jakarta, 10 September 2020 – About 20,000 people living in rural and remote parts of Indonesia and Timor-Leste will gain access to  clean electricity and clean water from solar power as a result of a US$ 18 million initiative funded by a four-year Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) project.

Th ACCESS (Accelerating Clean Energy Access to Reduce Inequality) initiative is also a collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of State Administration of the Republic of Timor-Leste and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)  in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

“KOICA stands ready to work for the ACCESS partnership, committed to ensuring access to clean energy and tackling the issue of energy inequality. Under the framework of South-South and Triangular Cooperation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia, the Government of two countries, KOICA and UNDP will work together with a clear set of common goals so that the ACCESS project can make meaningful progress,” said Mr. Jeong Hoe Jin, Country Director of KOICA Indonesia office.

Director General  of New, Renewable and Energy Conservation (NREEC), F.X. Sutijastoto, from the Indonesia Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said that The ACCESS project is aligned with and supports the acceleration program of electrification in remote areas, with funding support from KOICA to build communal solar-PV power plants to increase the number of electrified villages. This project is a strategy to promote new and renewable energy development in line with Indonesia’s target to increase the share of renewables in the national energy mix to 23 percent by 2025. The Directorate General of NREEC commits to support the ACCESS project's implementation as well as developing technical cooperation in the clean energy sector with Timor-Leste.

 “By bringing access to reliable and affordable electricity, ACCESS will change the life of thousands of people who had not access to it in remote areas of Eastern Indonesia as well as Timor Leste. This project exemplifies the commitment of UNDP, together with KOICA, to reach out to the most deprived populations and reduce inequalities. It gives a true meaning to the “Leave No One Behind agenda,” said UNDP Indonesia’s acting Resident Representative, Sophie Kemkhadze. “ACCESS is also a climate action that the electricity generated will be clean and renewable as it will come from solar panels. UNDP Indonesia is grateful to KOICA for the support provided and to the Governments of Indonesia and Timor-Leste with whom we will implement this major initiative”

To date, more than 10 million Indonesians and around 37,000 families in Timor-Leste do not have access to reliable electricity. The majority of them live in the remote parts of the country, where the project is focused.

In Indonesia, ACCESS will be carried out in 23 villages in the provinces of West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Central Kalimantan. It will see the construction of 1.2 Mega Watts of off-grid solar-PV power plants. In Timor-Leste it will take place in 25 villages in the Municipalities of Dili (Atauro island), Manatuto and Bobonaro, and will include deployment of around 1,000 high-efficient solar-PV lamps and 10 solar-PV water pumps to provide clean water access.

The ACCESS project is also an example of South-South cooperation in the clean energy sector with the establishment of a renewable energy service company/cooperative (RESCO) and technological exchange in solar-based lighting between Indonesia and Timor-Leste, with support from KOICA.

“Electrification in remote areas, nowadays, in the 21st century, is no longer considered a luxury or ornament for those with a self-sufficient life, but rather a basic need for everyone, whether in urban areas or rural areas. It is a great pride to see Timor-Leste’s electric power development underway. I would like, on my own behalf and on behalf of the government of Timor-Leste, to thank you for the spectacular gesture of solidarity that KOICA has shown to the people of Timor-Leste through this magnificent initiative, called ACCESS. It is expected that in the next four years, rural communities in the 25 villages in Dili, Manatuto and Bobonaro will have access to the deployment of high-efficiency photovoltaic lamps and solar pumps.” said Miguel Pereira de Carvalho, Minister of State Administration of Timor-Leste.

“ACCESS is a meaningful and timely project for Timor-Leste contributing to people’s welfare in the country by improving access to electricity and water for local residents” said KOICA Country Director in Timor-Leste, Mr. Sikhyun KIM, adding, “Internationally, this project shall be a small stepping stone to heal the history of the past and to enhance the friendly relations between two countries through the South-South and Triangular cooperation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Also, I hope this could be a catalyst for Timor’s long-cherished wish to join ASEAN”.

"Communities living in the most remote and deprived areas of Timor-Leste face continuous challenges to access electricity and clean water –a situation worsened over recent years by climate change", said Ms. Munkhtuya Altangerel, UNDP Resident Representative in Timor-Leste, adding: "ACCESS provides timely support to people living in remote parts of the country with improved access to safe and reliable water sources through renewable energy solutions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where hygiene and sanitation are crucial.”

By providing clean energy to the most marginalised communities, the project will contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 7 – affordable and clean energy and Goal 10 on reducing inequalities.

MEDIA CONTACT

KOICA Indonesia Program Manager, Nikka Sassongko, nikkasasongko@overseas.koica.go.kr

MEMR  Directorate General of NREEC’s Public Relation, Dian Lorinsa, dian.lorinsa@esdm.go.id

UNDP Indonesia Communication Specialist, Tomi Soetjipto, suryo.tomi@undp.org

UNDP Indonesia Senor Adviser for Sustainable Energy, Verania Andria, verania.andria@undp.org

UNDP Timor-Leste ACCESS Project Manager, Bernardino da Costa Pereira, bernardino.pereira@undp.org

UNDP Timor-Leste media contact, media.tl@undp.org