From cold storage solutions in remote islands, to swappable batteries for electric motorbikes, here’s the latest story on Indonesia’s climate tech innovators !
Local climate tech innovators from across Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago are finding novel solutions to support the country to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels – from cold storage solutions in remote islands, to swappable batteries for electric motorbikes.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
There’s an urgent need to provide more financial and policy support to entrepreneurs finding local climate mitigation solutions.
“Indonesian climate tech entrepreneurs are often challenged by lack of access to funding, as well as contacts and networks that can help make or break any new business, let alone upstarts in the clean energy sector,” said Diyanto Imam, Program Director at New Energy Nexus Indonesia. “That’s where we step in. New Energy Nexus has global expertise in not only accelerating and funding innovators, but also building the ecosystem and bringing the tech and business models we need to electrify our economy and rapidly transition away from fossil fuels.”
The Indonesian climate innovators photo story documents three startups supported by New Energy Nexus: SWAP Energi, Olat Maras Power, and NOA Bike. Photos are by documentary photographer Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro, an ex-Jakarta Globe photojournalist, jury member of the Canon PhotoMarathon Indonesia, and winner of the 2019 Permata Photojournalist Grant.
Climate innovation #1: Swap Energi
Air pollution is estimated to cause 123,000 premature deaths in Indonesia annually, putting it in the top 10 worst countries for air-pollution deaths. Vehicle emissions are an increasing source of this pollution, with private vehicles – including two-wheelers –accounting for 85% of Jakarta’s motorised traffic.
Recognising this problem, President Joko Widodo has said his government is targeting to put at least two million electric vehicles on the road by 2025. However there are many impediments, including limited electric charging infrastructure contributing to range anxiety – the fear that EVs are not as reliable as their fossil fueled counterparts
SWAP Energi is solving this by creating a network of stations for swappable batteries, as well as pioneering the manufacturing of electric motorbikes in Indonesia under the name Smoot Motor. Users can easily find a battery station with app and replace their depleted battery in under 9 seconds.
New Energy Nexus has supported SWAP Energi through its accelerator program and with funding through its Indonesia 1 Fund. Electrifying Indonesia’s two-wheelers will be critical to decarbonising it’s transport sector: with around 120 million units on the road, Indonesia is the third largest two wheeler market in the world after India and China.
We believe that energy has to be sustainable while fossil energy is limited. Because of that, we develop an electric motorbike since the population of motorcyclists in Indonesia is higher than bicycles and cars. With the help of New Energy Nexus Indonesia, we are very hopeful we can outgrow an electric vehicle market as Indonesia is a very potential market
Climate innovation #2: NOA Bike
NOA Bike is a startup that provides an electric bike rental service and operates in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara – an area the national government has deemed to be a “Super Priority Tourist Destination”.
“Just like its name, Noa in the local Ende language means ‘easy’, we want to introduce a digital platform that is economic and easy to use,” said Suharto Juma, CEO and co-founder of the NOA Bike.
In a place where micro-mobility is needed, we want our users to have easy access to environmentally-friendly vehicles. We are introducing it early with the hope the public could be more familiar with it. All bikes from NOA Bike are proven to be able to conquer high-elevation roads in Labuan Bajo. In collaboration with New Energy Nexus Indonesia, NOA Bike is now expanding its business operations to the electric bike ecosystem in Bali
Climate innovation #3: Olat Maras Power
Indonesia’s cold chain logistics market will be valued at US$12.59 billion by 2031, but this comes with enormous climate impacts. The refrigerants used to freeze food, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), have a negative impact on climate that is thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. In fact, the poor disposal and displacement of the chemicals used for refrigeration will be the primary cause of an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Founded in 2020 by a team of lecturers at the Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa (UTS), the startup Olat Maras Power provides solar powered cold storage fisherfolk in Bungin island. Solar powered cold storage solutions can help Indonesia’s fisherfolk get more produce to market, while reducing supply chain emissions.
“The operating hours of the fish market is limited so when we catch a lot of fish, it is not a guarantee we will make a good profit as well,” said Boy Saputra, a fisherman from Bungin Island – one of the 800 small fishing ports in Indonesia.
We would like to drive a green economy by providing cold storage that uses three sources of power; solar panels, batteries, and from the state electricity company. Olat Maras Power may be a small startup, but our dream for Indonesia is big
With the help of New Energy Nexus, Olat Maras Power successfully created Cold Storage NgebuUTS, a solar powered fish storage box. The box is exclusively made for the fishermen in Sumbawa Regency, especially those who live on Bungin island.
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