Increasing energy access and cutting emissions in Indonesia with hydropower
Sumatra's power grid relies heavily on coal, with more than 1,700 MW of new coal plants added in the four years to 2015, keeping the grid carbon intensive. Hydropower offers a cleaner option, but large dams can flood land, force families to resettle and endanger communities downstream.
To learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals verified by the standard for this project, please check the project's registry link above.
Owned by state utility PT. PLN (Persero), this 82 MW run-of-river plant on Lake Toba needs no high dam. It channels water from the Renun River and 11 tributaries through about 24 km of tunnels, using a natural drop of about 470 metres to drive two turbines.
By displacing fossil fuel power on the Sumatra grid, the project was estimated to reduce 2,700,192 tCO₂e over its 2016–2026 crediting period. Local people gain jobs and technical training. PLN has also funded roads, a school and places of worship, and upgraded a nearby clinic with free medicines.
