By: Samuel Wanimbo
The Indonesian government has positioned Papua as a key axis in its roadmap for future energy sovereignty. This strategic move marks a shift in development paradigm that no longer positions the eastern region as a mere spectator, but rather as the heart of resource independence.
By optimizing its abundant natural resources, Papua now holds the reins in creating a greener, more independent, and most crucially, more equitable energy structure for local communities.
Papua holds a treasure trove of new and renewable energy resources capable of transforming the national economy. The current focus is on utilizing hydropower, solar power, and bioenergy to break the chain of dependence on fossil fuels.
Utilizing these local resources will automatically reduce logistics costs, which have been a significant burden in remote areas. By switching to solar panels and micro-hydro power, remote villages no longer need to wait for expensive fuel deliveries from outside the island, enabling energy security to grow from the grassroots.
The bioenergy sector is also showing its prowess through the development of bioethanol based on sugarcane and other agricultural commodities. The integration of food estate projects and bioenergy production creates a circular economic ecosystem.
This vision ensures that every inch of cultivated land produces not only food but also fuel that can sustainably power local industrial and transportation machinery.
President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that Papua possesses extraordinary strategic energy resources, both from the green and oil and gas sectors, whose management must be fully oriented towards the prosperity of the people.
According to the president, the comprehensive plan prepared by the relevant ministries ensures that people in the far eastern part of Indonesia can directly benefit from the energy production of their homeland. This development should not only pursue national production figures but must also ensure equitable distribution of benefits, right down to the household level in villages.
The development of solar and hydropower in remote areas is considered the most sensible solution to eradicating inequality. President Prabowo Subianto believes that having independent energy sources in each region will save the state budget significantly.
Reducing fuel imports, which reach hundreds of trillions of rupiah annually, will strengthen Indonesia’s fiscal resilience. These savings can be redirected to finance basic infrastructure development, education, and health care in Papua, thereby creating real social justice.
Despite the sharp increase in focus on renewable energy, strengthening the conventional sector continues to be crucial to maintain a stable transition. National Strategic Projects such as the Asap Kido Merah (AKM) gas field in West Papua demonstrate that fossil fuel resources still serve as a bridge to clean energy.
The Director General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation (EBTKE), Eniya Listiani Dewi, projects Papua as a vital contributor to national bioethanol production. Based on the stated target, the region is targeted to produce up to 300,000 kiloliters of bioethanol per year as a substitute for environmentally friendly fuels.
Meanwhile, upstream oil and gas operations still require close coordination with local governments. Alfian Telaumbanua, General Manager of Operations at RH Petrogas Companies in Indonesia, emphasized that ongoing collaboration with local authorities is key to smooth operations and a key supporter of energy security in Southwest Papua. This partnership ensures that industrial activity in the region remains aligned with the government’s grand vision of creating inclusive energy independence.
Implementing equitable energy requires investment transparency and full respect for customary rights, positioning the Papuan people as subjects of development. Through strategic infrastructure such as the Orya Genyem Hydroelectric Power Plant and the targeted electrification of hundreds of villages, the government is laying the foundation for a more inclusive domestic economy for local prosperity.
The Head of the Manpower, Transmigration, Energy, and Mineral Resources Agency of Southwest Papua, Suroso, hopes to optimize upstream oil and gas activities in his region to boost state and regional revenues.
Through a stable profit-sharing scheme, the official believes this revenue will accelerate equitable prosperity and provide tangible benefits for community development throughout Papua.
Papua is no longer viewed as a peripheral region on the national energy map, but has shifted to become the epicenter of national independence. With the adaptive “Energy Laboratory” vision, the region is nowPapua is transforming into a modern, environmentally friendly energy hub through the integration of green technology and local wisdom.
This strategic step is not merely a technical effort to produce electricity or fuel, but rather a political manifestation to fulfill the promise of independence through equitable energy access to the eastern horizon.
The government believes that every drop of bioethanol and every megawatt flowing from the rivers of Papua is a symbol of sovereignty that cannot be negotiated. The success of self-sufficiency in Papua will be the clearest reflection of Indonesia’s success in realizing true energy sovereignty.
This is the moment when natural resources are managed by the people, for the people, and fully allocated for the equitable prosperity of the people, leaving no village in the dark. (*)
Eastern Indonesia Economic Observer – Center for Papuan Economic Studies
