During a December 19 groundbreaking ceremony in Cilamaya District, West Java, United States Ambassador to Indonesia Joseph R. Donovan Jr. hailed the contributions of American and Japanese companies in what will be Indonesia’s first power plant integrating natural gas infrastructure and power generation.
Ambassador Donovan noted the project, known as Jawa 1, is a product of the Japan-U.S. Strategic Energy Partnership (JUSEP) and represents the “high-quality, sustainable, private-sector-led growth” that JUSEP supports across the Indo-Pacific.
Ambassador Donovan explained that helping Southeast Asian nations build liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure is a major focus of President Trump’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and its Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy program, or Asia EDGE.
Asia EDGE and JUSEP aim to catalyze – not replace – private sector investment by enabling energy sector reforms and growing sustainable and secure energy markets throughout the Indo-Pacific.
The Ambassador also congratulated GE on its role in the project. U.S. parts and components will contribute 2.9 trillion Rupiah ($200 million) to Jawa 1, and include GE’s high-efficiency, low-emission gas turbines, which are manufactured in South Carolina. Jawa 1 will generate 1,760 megawatts of reliable, affordable electricity for up to 11 million Indonesian homes.
“Energy is the lifeblood of a modern economy and the power produced from Jawa 1 will provide efficient, affordable energy to Indonesian homes and businesses. The United States looks forward to supporting additional partnerships that advance our common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Ambassador Donovan remarked.