By: Tira Maya & Cendera Rizky
Kuala Kurun (6/6) – The plan to construct Micro-Hydro Power Plant (PLTMH) in the Harowu village, Manahasa Miri Sub-district, Gunung Mas District, initiated by WWF-Indonesia has gained full support from the District Head of Gunung Mas, Drs. Hambit Bintih, MM. It was delivered in his speech at the opening of Socialization and Presentation of the construction plan of Micro Hydro Plant in Harowu which took place in the city hall of of Kuala Kurun, on Monday (06/06).
For years, the people in Harowu, at the upstream area of Central Kalimantan, which borders the province of West Kalimantan, have not had access to electricity from State-owned Electricity Company. ""We are o share the experiences we have for the progress and prosperity of the villages in the area of Gunung Mas,"" he said.
The socialization of the plan to construct micro hydro power plant is also expected to motivate all relevant parties to continue exploring the development of micro hydro power plant in Gunung Mas.
""I expect the construction of micro hydro power plant in Harowu will be able to inspire similar initiatives in other remote areas in Kalimantan, “ he added.
The construction of micro hydro power plant in the village which is located at the end of Miri River will also be reviewed by the local government as lesson learned to develop micro hydro power plant in other villages in Gunung Mas which also has the potential and similar typology with Harowu. The District Head also asked relevant governmental officials to explore the potential of the region.
Meanwhile WWF-Indonesia Muller-Schwaner program coordinator Ambang Wijaya said, associating with the global climate issue and the vital need for energy and electricity among the villages in the Heart of Borneo, WWF-Indonesia tried to promote renewable energy sources which can be obtained by facilitating the construction of micro hydro power plant in Harowu village.

According to him, the construction of micro hydro power plant is not only to generate power, but also to educate people that there are other alternative of natural resources besides the fossil fuels which can be utilized to meet human’s needs.

Furthermore,the Indonesian government also speeds up to promote the use of environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources.According to Presidential DecreeNumber. 5 ,in 2006 on National Energy Policy which states that,in 2025, the consumption of petroleum is expected to drop to 20%, natural gas rises to 30%, coal climbs up by 30%, while the renewable energy consumption increased by 17%.
""Indonesia has the great potential of Micro-hydro power plant ,particularly in its mountainous areas. It later became one of the renewable energy resources, particularly for remote areas that haven’t been touched by the State-owned Electricity Company's network due to its geographical conditions and its difficult access. However referring to the government regulation no 5, 2006, micro hydro power plant is not considered as an alternative, but also a permanent solution to meet the electricity needs in respective areas,”. Ambang continued.
The sustainability of micro hydro power plant is essential since it is part of an integrated development both in rural areas and at national level. Therefore, it requires active role from the government in the policy framework which supports community-based implementation of micro hydro power plant.
From the economic view, micro hydro power plant can give multiple benefits. It reduces energy cost comparingto use of other energy sources as well as drives productive businesses by utilizing the renewable energy. Productive businesss areneeded to help the local community improve their self reliance in managing the power plant and their economic welfare .Therefore, a guide to identifiy the potential of renewable resources and micro hydro-based community enterprises is needed.