JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The National Team of the Global Environmental Facilities Steering Committee is reviewing the proposal to build a wave power plant in the waters of Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi, to be financed by The Global Environment Facility grant. The 5-megawatt power plant project is expected to power five to eight villages that do not yet have an electricity network.

Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta explained that the proposal to build the wave power plant was submitted by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, and the Directorate General of Electricity and Energy Utilization of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

""The proposal is being reviewed by the national GEF team and then screened again at the international level,"" Gusti said If it is considered feasible, the project will be submitted to the GEF forum in Washington DC, USA.

The ocean wave power plant is proposed to get a GEF grant worth 10 million US dollars because it includes climate change mitigation activities. ""The utilization of ocean currents for electricity generates electrical energy that is environmentally friendly by avoiding the use of fossil fuels that produce emissions,"" Gusti said.

Head of the Multilateral Cooperation Section of the Ministry of Environment Wahyu Marjaka explained that the wave power plant is expected to be able to provide electricity to residents in five to eight villages in Wakatobi waters. ""The project is a continuation of the pilot project for wave power plants in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Later it can be calculated how much carbon emissions can be reduced by the establishment of the plant,"" Wahyu said.

Micro hydro

In addition to the sea wave power plant project, the GEF National Steering Committee Team is also reviewing the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' proposal to build a micro hydro network throughout Indonesia. ""The GEF grant value needed for the micro hydro network is around 3.5 million US dollars. Each region that has a microhydro will be calculated, how much contribution to reducing carbon emissions from renewable energy, "said Wahyu.

The total value of GEF for the period 2010-2014 reached 87.91 million US dollars. "Everything is a pure grant and not only the government can submit proposals to utilize GEF funds. The funds can also be used by universities, communities, and non-governmental organizations For example, how to prevent peat forest fires by cutting canals on peatlands Climate change adaptation programs are also needed. There is no deadline, proposals can be submitted at any time," Gusti said. (ROW)