On 23 July 2024, a research team from the Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center (PYC) led by Michael Suryaprawira visited the Tolo 1 Wind Power Plant (PLTB) in Jeneponto Regency, South Sulawesi. This visit was part of a research study conducted by PYC to observe the implementation and operations of PLTB in Indonesia directly.
PLTB Tolo 1, built in the middle of a farm area, has a total capacity of 72 MW generated from 20 windmill units. This PLTB is the second largest in Indonesia after the Sidrap PLTB, which has a capacity of 75 MW. The development process began with a feasibility study in 2015 and began operating in 2018. This PLTB is capable of generating electricity for 149 thousand homes connected to the PLN network.
During the visit, the PYC research team gained many insights into the PLTB construction process, including the challenges of limited road access for large turbine structures. Apart from producing electricity, PLTB Tolo 1 also provides other benefits, such as repelling pest birds as a substitute for scarecrows and as an indicator of wind direction to determine rice planting time.
This event was concluded with a group photo session and souvenir giving as a sign of gratitude for the warm welcome from PT. Bayu Jeneponto Energy. This visit confirmed PYC’s commitment to supporting the development of clean energy in Indonesia.