The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is planning to develop wind power plants in 16 locations across the country.

The ministry's director general for new and renewable energy, Rida Mulyana, said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the country had great wind energy potential that would be harnessed by the power plants.

The locations of the projects, which are to be developed in cooperation with Denmark, include Surakarta in Central Java and the South Sulawesi towns of Jeneponto and Sidrap, Antara news agency reported on Tuesday.

“We expect that the Surakarta project will materialize in 2018,” said Rida, adding that the signing of the agreement with Denmark had been witnessed by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan and Danish Development Cooperation Minister Ulla Tørnæs on Tuesday.

Indonesia has about 800 inhabited islands that require energy, said Jonan, adding that wind power plants could be the best choice for such regions as supplying energy to the islands via cable networks would be less efficient.

Jonan stressed that remote areas should not rely on energy from other regions through cable, but should develop their own power plants powered by sources of energy such as wind. (bbn)