Kicking-off : Indonesian-German Initiative on First South-South Triangular Cooperation on Decentralized Renewable Energy

Indonesia and Germany launched the bilateral project on Renewable Energy Mini Grids in South-South Triangular Cooperation in Indonesia (ENTRI) based on two decades of experience in renewable energy and a decade of practice in South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), the first initiative in synergizing best practices in both fields.  

The project aims to promote decentralized renewable energy that will contribute to mitigate global climate crisis and at the same time supporting economic and social development and to strengthen Indonesia’s position in global development communities particularly in the field of decentralized renewable energy. 

Marking the beginnings of the project, the first steering committee meeting of the Indonesian-German project on Renewable Energy Mini Grids in South-South Triangular Cooperation in Indonesia (ENTRI) was held on 9 August 2023, in Bogor, West Java. The meeting was hosted by the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.Director of Various New Energy and Renewable Energy, Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Andriah Feby Misna, and Catoer Wibowo, GIZ Commission Manager for ENTRI, both acted as co-chairs of the meeting. Representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the State Secretariat, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesian AID, and GIZ actively participated in the hybrid meeting. 

Director Feby stated in her opening remarks that Indonesia has a national target to achieve 23% renewable energy mix by 2025 and to attain Net Zero Emission (NZE) by 2060. These targets could be accelerated with international support, one of them by Germany through the ENTRI project. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ENTRI supports SDG Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Goal 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy, and Goal 17 on Partnerships. Indonesia has long shared knowledge concerning renewable energy, improving decentralized energy access to rural areas, building more diverse partnerships, and empowering private sectors, youth, and local communities.

Moreover, Director Feby stated with the Indonesian system on triangular cooperation as members of the ENTRI Steering Committee Meeting it is with high hope that ENTRI as the first triangular cooperation with focus on decentralized renewable energy implemented by Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources can manifest to contribute to achieving the national target on renewable energy as well as contributing to Indonesia’s outgoing cooperation through triangular cooperation. 

Maria Renata of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also as the Chair of National Coordination Team of SSTC conveyed highest appreciation for the commencement of ENTRI and further highlighted that ENTRI shall be the avenue to promote sustainable and measurable capacity building with concrete impact on decentralised renewable energy at the beneficiary countries when implementing SSTCs. 

Key agenda points discussed and endorsed during the first ENTRI Steering Committee Meeting were among others the steering structure, the stakeholders map as well as ENTRI key events which serve as guidance to embark the project implementation. 

As a three-year project from January 2023 until December 2025 for 2 million euros funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), ENTRI is implemented jointly by GIZ and the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, particularly the Directorate General on Energy Conservation of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as a strategic partner in close coordination with the National Coordination Team of Indonesia South-South Cooperation which consists of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, State Secretariat, Finance and National Development Planning.