A team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) comprising Professor Tumiran, Director of the Engineering Research and Innovation Center, UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM); Professor Sarjiya, Head of the Center for Energy Studies; Dr. Lesnanto Multa Putranto, Secretary of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Engineering, FT UGM; along with Adams Yogasara, Executive Vice President of Strategic Distribution Planning, PT PLN; and Agung Murdifi Agus, General Manager of the East Kalimantan Region, PT PLN, conducted a five-day working visit to Japan from June 5 to 10.
This visit aimed to expand networks and establish strategic cooperation with several prominent Japanese institutions, namely Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), JAIF International Cooperation Center (JICC), and Marubeni Corporation.
On Wednesday (Jun. 5), the UGM team visited TEPCO to discuss the development of electrical systems in special economic zones.
TEPCO, known for its reliability in managing the electrical system in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, with an average power outage of only 6 minutes per year, provided valuable insights for the development of the electrical region of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), which is currently part of the East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan electrical system.
The following day, Thursday (Jun. 6), the UGM and PLN team continued their visit to the TEPCO Research Institute to learn about developing new renewable energy sources, such as wind turbine technology and solar panels adapted to Japan’s natural conditions.
They also visited a Data Center facility in rural Gunma Province, supplied by a solar power plant integrated with a 6kV distribution network. On the same day, the UGM and PLN team also discussed with JICC to explore the future use of nuclear energy, particularly for power generation.
After the Fukushima tragedy and the Hokkaido earthquake, Japan decommissioned more than 20 nuclear power plants. However, new technologies and standards are now being developed to use atomic energy for power generation again. Thisis one of Japan’s strategies to achieve its net zero emission targets.
The visit concluded on Monday (Jun. 10) with a visit to Marubeni to discuss collaboration in using technology to reduce carbon emissions. The discussion covered recent research on nuclear energy, hydrogen, and ammonia as alternative energy sources for the future.
The potential for collaboration with Marubeni in utilizing these new energy technologies is significant and is expected to bring considerable benefits to Indonesia.
The strategic collaboration established by UGM with TEPCO, JICC, and Marubeni aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in efforts to provide clean and affordable energy (SDG 7), promote industrial innovation (SDG 9), and take action to combat climate change (SDG 13).
UGM is committed to supporting sustainable development in Indonesia by expanding networks and leveraging cutting-edge technology.
Authors: Lesnanto Multa Putranto & Rasya Swarnasta
Documentation: Lesnanto Multa Putranto