Harmoniously increasing energy access by using the power of flowing water
Sumatra, Indonesia's largest island is covered by unique and dense tropical forest, abundant in wildlife; energy generation needs to meet growing demands and support sustainable development without harming this important and threatened ecosystem.
for employees working on the project
of clean energy is sent to the grid on average each year
with 51 temporary ones to help boost local economic development
including turbines, generation plant and regulating pond
built by the project owner to support local development
reduced on average each year
Built on the banks of Lake Toba, the project has been designed with careful consideration of the natural environment: making use of a natural height difference of about 500 metres means that power is generated without a retaining dam; most of the pipelines are built underground; and water is taken from several sources (Lau Renun River, Haporas River, Bargot River, Tapian Nauli River) to ensure sufficient downstream water flow. The project uses the natural river flow to generate energy using using 2 turbines and a regulating pond. In total the project has an installed capacity of 82 MW.
As well as providing clean energy to power sustainable development, the Renun River project reduces GHG emissions by displacing fossil-fuel derived energy that currently provides a large share of power to Sumatra’s grid. The local population of this remote region, 100k away from the regional capital, are benefitting from more job opportunities with technical training also offered. The project owner has funded public facilities such as toilets, roads and bridges; helped finance a new school, and in this multi-religious region a church and mosque have been supported. Finally the project owner has helped to upgrade the local health clinic and provide free medicine, which for remote communities is crucial.
