Energy Startups Advance Local Industries, Says Renewable Energy DG

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE

NUMBER: 178.Pers/04/SJI/2020

Date: 27 May 2021

Energy Startups Advance Local Industries, Says Renewable Energy DG

Addressing sustainable energy needs have inspired many people to find solutions to the problems in the energy and mineral resources sector through various ways, for example by forming startups. This is in line with the global challenge of creating a sustainable green economy, said Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation of Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR), Dadan Kusdina, at the virtual opening of APEC Workshop on Achieving Business Sustainability for Clean Energy Startups in Jakarta on Thursday (27/5).

"Clean energy startups can revolutionize energy technology by offering growth opportunities for local industries and increasing employment opportunities", continued Dadan.

According to Dadan, green energy is being used by Asia Pacific countries as a path to sustainable economic development. "This concept emphasizes the use of natural resources in a sustainable manner, improvement of quality of life and social justice, and reduction of environmental risks," explained Dadan.

According to the 2019 report of International Energy Agency (IEA), dependence on fossil energy sources is still high and there is a gap in implementing the energy transition. "More ambitious actions and stakeholder support are needed to back efficiency and clean energy technologies," Dadan added.

The presence of startups, continued Dadan, is expected to initiate renewable energy projects and stimulate the investment climate so as to create positive impacts on the Indonesian society. "More importantly, this initiative contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the consequences of climate change that threatens global livelihoods, and the vulnerability of energy dependence and financial burdens due to oil imports," he added.

According to Dadan, renewables projects can offset job losses from a decline in the extractive industry and create labor-intensive jobs. For example, the construction of a solar PV power plant requires twice as many workers as that of a coal-fired or natural gas power plant.

In order to create the energy startup ecosystem, Dadan encourages workers in the renewables subsector to improve their skills and capacity. "Without well-trained and experienced workers, the use of renewable energy may be off target," he said.

The public sector can offer a number of schemes to support clean energy startups, for example providing vocational training programs that are integrated with renewable energy curriculum, providing technical assistance, ensuring the retention of skilled and experienced personnel, and developing local supply chains. "The renewables subsector needs not only technical professionals but also planning and administration ones such as lawyers and financial specialists," Dadan concluded.

For the record, the APEC Workshop on Achieving Business Sustainability for Clean Energy Start-ups (EWG 02 2020A) is one of the project proposals which funding was approved by APEC and the first project of the Ministry of EMR to be funded by the forum since its formation.

The workshop lasts for two days, from May 27 to May 28, 2021. It aims to provide training to startups, policy makers, and clean energy business players in APEC economies to exchange ideas in developing a sustainable clean energy startup business. If you want to attend the workshop, please access http://bit.ly/wsewg2021 (IY)

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