Notes on Sumba Island and Renewable Energy Initiatives

Overview of Sumba Island

• Location: Eastern Indonesia
• Cultural Distinctiveness:
  • Unique burial traditions
  • Animist religions
  • Own unique language

Challenges Faced by Sumba

• Social Issues:
  • Poverty
  • High infant mortality rates
  • Prevalence of diseases like malaria
• Access to Electricity:
  • Nearly half of the 650,000 islanders have no access to electricity.
  • Reliance on kerosene and wood fires for lighting and cooking, which is expensive, unsafe, and unhealthy.

Renewable Energy Potential

• Abundant Resources:
  • Plentiful solar energy
  • Biomass resources
  • Significant potential for hydro power and wind energy
• Initiative by Hevos:
  • Dutch NGO Hevos collaborates with the government.
  • Goal: Extend electricity to the majority of Sumba's population using 100% renewable energy.
  • Attracting support from development partners and private sector.

Progress and Impact

• Village of We Potendo:
  • Benefits from a small-scale solar project sponsored by the government.
  • Provides electricity to 36 houses for a lower monthly fee compared to kerosene costs.
  • Improved quality of life for residents, enabling work and study after dark, and access to television.

ADB Involvement

• Asian Development Bank (ADB):
  • Joined the initiative in 2013 with a technical assistance grant of $1 million.
  • Aim: Scale up renewable energy access in Sumba and Eastern Indonesia.
  • Grant increased to $2 million with support from the government of Norway.
• Model for Replication:
  • ADB's involvement can help leverage this renewable energy model across other regions in Indonesia and beyond.
  • Potential to provide a replicable model for cost-effective energy access in isolated communities.

Conclusion

• Significance of the Initiative:
  • If successful, the renewable energy experiment in Sumba could enable Indonesia to expand energy access to other poor, isolated communities.