Using Indonesia's hydropower potentialLess than six percent of Indonesia's electricity was generated from renewable energy sources in 2015, and by 2025 this figure is expected to rise to 23 percent. Our climate protection project in northern Sumatra is contributing to this by exploiting the enormous hydropower potential here.
The run-of-river power plant uses a natural height difference of 500 meters. The water comes from the rivers Lau Renun, Haporas, Bargot and Tapian Nauli and flows into Lake Toba in a volcanic crater. Two turbines with a capacity of 41 megawatts each generate clean electricity, which is fed into the Sumatra grid and improves the supply of sustainably generated electricity. To preserve the unique character of the landscape and the biodiversity of the region, all water pipes have been laid underground. Thanks to the natural gradient, only a very small reservoir was needed to accumulate the water, thus avoiding the resettlement of the local population.
How hydropower contributes to climate actionHydropower plants use the energy of water to generate electricity. The energy is harnessed by passing water through a turbine. Under the pressure of the water, the turbine turns and transfers this energy to a generator, which converts kinetic energy into electricity. This principle applies to all types of hydroelectric power plants: from small run-of-river power plants to pumped-storage power plants on bodies of water like lakes. In many parts of the world, electricity is still primarily generated from fossil fuels. Clean hydropower can replace some of this emission-intensive energy and thus verifiably save carbon emissions. In most hydropower projects, the electricity is fed into a regional power grid, diversifying the energy supply and improving energy security in areas affected by power shortages and blackouts. Often, these projects also create jobs for the local population. Hydropower projects thus make an important contribution to clean energy supply as well as contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hydopower projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
