In this ISG, Anna Nadolny will present collaborative research by ANU, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and PLN on the key siting factors for new pumped hydro energy projects.
Event details
Time: 9:30-11:00am WIB // 12:30-2:00pm AEST
Join in-person: McDonald Room, Menzies Library, ANU
Join online: bit.ly/ISG_indonesiaproject
Abstract
Indonesia is grappling with electricity demand driven by rising living standards, meeting Paris Agreement targets for clean electricity, and the need for a reliable, affordable, and resilient electricity supply. Solar and wind are now the cheapest form of electricity generation. All other industries can benefit from them, through lower cost, domestically generated electricity. These technologies require support, such as firming, where other technologies generate during low solar or wind periods, and balancing, where storage technologies soak up extra electricity to be released when needed later. Indonesia has excellent solar resources, and is well-placed to benefit from this technology.
Pumped hydro energy storage is a mature technology with many benefits to the electricity grid. Well-chosen sites have the lowest cost per unit of energy storage of any technology. The ANU Pumped Hydro Atlas lists more than 800,000 possible sites around the world. Indonesia is blessed with thousands of sites – almost too many to choose from. A new pumped hydro project is currently under construction.
Over the course of 2025, a team from ANU were given the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and electricity utility PLN colleagues to calibrate siting factors that new pumped hydro would need to fulfil. The resultant mapping tool was then ground-tested in the mountainous region surrounding Bandung, with a team from PLN and the Ministry.
Solar supported by pumped hydro could allow huge savings to Indonesia through electricity price, air quality, resilience, and removing international oil price shocks.
Closed captioning will be available for all online Zoom presentations. If you are attending in person and require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), please contact the ANU Indonesia Project at Indonesia.Project@anu.edu.au
Event Speakers
Anna Nadolny
Anna Nadolny has more than 10 years' experience in leading pumped hydro siting work for many international projects throughout South and Southeast Asia and conducting study tours within Australia. Within RE100, Anna also analyses energy systems with large penetration of variable renewables and energy storage options.