ABB and MASKEEI (a non-profit National Energy Conservation and Efficiency Society) recently collaborated at a national conference attended by senior executives and leaders across key sectors in Indonesia to promote awareness of energy efficiency, which the International Energy Agency (IEA) regards as the “first fuel” for a sustainable and resilient energy future. The conference is timely given the impending relocation of Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara and the impact this will have on the country’s climate pledge.
Various areas of cooperation and strategies were outlined, including identifying energy-efficient technologies and solutions that offer the highest benefits. Approximately 45% of the world’s electricity is used to power electric motors in buildings and industrial applications to provide energy for water pumps, HVAC systems, compressors, and many more. In Indonesia, a vast number of these motor-driven systems are ineffective and excessively energy-consuming.
This, combined with Indonesia’s rising population, increasing urbanization trends and economic growth necessitates a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy that harnesses the potential of leading technologies such as high-efficiency motors paired with variable-speed drives vital to reducing energy consumption.
“Years of research and development have resulted in a variety of energy efficiency measures and technologies that can be employed quickly to reduce energy consumption. These technologies are available and can significantly benefit multiple sectors by lowering energy demand, saving costs, and improving energy reliability,” said Chen Kang Tan, Vice President, Head of Motion, ABB in Indonesia. Global electricity usage could be lowered by up to 10% if more than 300 million industrial electric motor-driven systems were swapped for efficient, optimized machinery. “These technologies hold the key to achieving Indonesia’s climate pledge and carbon reduction targets over the next 10 years,” he added.
Conducted through a series of workshops, the national conference highlighted energy efficiency policy implementation, real experiences, and challenges on the ground. Recommendations from the discussions will be consolidated and presented to the newly formed government to accelerate the implementation of energy efficiency and conservation measures.
Chairman of MASKEEI, RM Soedjono Respati said that he is pleased to have the opportunity to raise broader awareness of the critical importance of energy efficiency and to address several key points to improve the energy efficiency implementation in Indonesia. “There is an immediate need for effective instruments to encourage energy efficiency improvement including incentives for equipment production and development of energy-efficient technology, equipment standardization (SKEM), certification, and the need to increase research efforts and innovation development carried out by national research and manufacturer agencies,” he noted.
The national conference highlighted the importance of integrating these measures into a more comprehensive and effective energy and climate change strategy to achieve net zero. It aligns with the Energy Efficiency Movement (EEM), a global platform launched in 2021 by ABB, and recently on May 14, 2024, it became an independent association with ABB and Alfa Laval as founding members, leading its governance.
