Optimizing Local Renewable Energy Resources for Reducing Energy Dependency on An Isolated Island: A Case Study of Saumlaki Island, Indonesia

Saumlaki system is located on a small remote island that experiences an electricity supply crisis. Another problem faced in the Saumlaki system is energy dependency on fossil fuels supplied from other islands. To overcome these problems, it is necessary to use local renewable energy resources. However, using renewable energy resources potentially increase the generation cost. Therefore, a well-planned generation expansion planning that optimizes local RES in Saumlaki is necessary to achieve an optimal generation mix and cost. Therefore, this research addresses this issue and aims to find an optimal power development plan in the Saumlaki system by maximizing local RE resources and reducing its energy dependency on external sources. The optimization in this research is done through the MILP method with a planning horizon starting in 2023 to 2032. The research results show a decrease in generation costs from 16.36 cents/kWh to 8.81 cents/kWh. Biomass power plants play a crucial role in supplying electricity in Saumlaki with reliable, sustainable, and eco-friendly energy. Using local biomass energy has also helped reduce the Saumlaki system's reliance on HSD energy imported from other islands. This is demonstrated by the decrease in the proportion of HSD in the energy mix from 100% to only 45% in 2032, achieved through the use of 55% biomass energy, which amounts to 30.7 GWh.