When people talk about renewable energy, they often imagine large solar farms and modern cities. But some of the most meaningful clean-energy progress is happening in remote places where a clean energy can transform daily life. One of those places is Tampelas, a riverine village deep in Central Kalimantan.
The Tampelas Solar Panel Project is a community-centered renewable-energy initiative developed as part of the broader Katingan Mentaya Project (KMP), one of the world’s largest forest-based climate efforts. This project is a story of clean energy, climate resilience, and community empowerment, all unfolding along the Katingan River.
A Village at the Edge of the Forest
Tampelas sits within an extensive peat-swamp ecosystem that stores massive amounts of carbon. Living in such a remote environment brings challenges such as limited infrastructure, reliance on diesel generators, seasonal flooding, and restricted access to electricity. The Katingan Mentaya Project has long worked with villages like Tampelas to shift local livelihoods from extraction toward restoration. Clean, reliable energy is a key part of that shift.
The Tampelas Solar Project
Electricity now supports local enterprise, including a fish-processing center that enables Tampelas to add value locally rather than exporting raw catch. Solar power also strengthens flood-resilient infrastructure and ensures more reliable operation of village facilities. From the beginning, local residents were involved in planning, construction, and ongoing management, helping ensure long-term sustainability.
How It Supports the Katingan Mentaya Project
The work in Tampelas directly supports the mission of the Katingan Mentaya Project, which protects more than 150,000 hectares of peat-swamp forest while partnering with river communities. The solar project reduces dependence on diesel fuel, supports sustainable economic alternatives, and strengthens climate resilience in a flood-prone landscape. It also serves as a pilot for a restorative economic model that can be adopted across the wider KMP area.
Why Tampelas Matters
The Tampelas initiative shows how renewable energy can transform life even in the most remote regions. Reliable clean energy becomes the foundation for restoration, community stability, and new economic opportunities that do not rely on damaging natural resources. By demonstrating that clean energy can support both people and forests, Tampelas highlights how climate action and human development can move forward together.
Looking Forward
As the Katingan Mentaya Project continues its work across Central Kalimantan, Tampelas stands as a practical example of what is possible when communities, conservation goals, and renewable energy align. Clean energy brings more than electricity; it brings opportunity, resilience, and a future that grows alongside the forest. That future reflects exactly what the Katingan Mentaya Project is working to achieve.
The Tampelas Solar Panel Project is a community-centered renewable-energy initiative developed as part of the broader Katingan Mentaya Project (KMP), one of the world’s largest forest-based climate efforts. This project is a story of clean energy, climate resilience, and community empowerment, all unfolding along the Katingan River.
A Village at the Edge of the Forest
Tampelas sits within an extensive peat-swamp ecosystem that stores massive amounts of carbon. Living in such a remote environment brings challenges such as limited infrastructure, reliance on diesel generators, seasonal flooding, and restricted access to electricity. The Katingan Mentaya Project has long worked with villages like Tampelas to shift local livelihoods from extraction toward restoration. Clean, reliable energy is a key part of that shift.
The Tampelas Solar Project
The Tampelas Solar Project introduces a fully off-grid solar power system. Instead of relying on diesel generators, households and community facilities now receive electricity from a photovoltaic system designed for long-term use. The initiative includes a photovoltaic pavilion that shelters the solar array while providing functional community space underneath.
Electricity now supports local enterprise, including a fish-processing center that enables Tampelas to add value locally rather than exporting raw catch. Solar power also strengthens flood-resilient infrastructure and ensures more reliable operation of village facilities. From the beginning, local residents were involved in planning, construction, and ongoing management, helping ensure long-term sustainability.
How It Supports the Katingan Mentaya Project
The work in Tampelas directly supports the mission of the Katingan Mentaya Project, which protects more than 150,000 hectares of peat-swamp forest while partnering with river communities. The solar project reduces dependence on diesel fuel, supports sustainable economic alternatives, and strengthens climate resilience in a flood-prone landscape. It also serves as a pilot for a restorative economic model that can be adopted across the wider KMP area.
Why Tampelas Matters
The Tampelas initiative shows how renewable energy can transform life even in the most remote regions. Reliable clean energy becomes the foundation for restoration, community stability, and new economic opportunities that do not rely on damaging natural resources. By demonstrating that clean energy can support both people and forests, Tampelas highlights how climate action and human development can move forward together.
Looking Forward
As the Katingan Mentaya Project continues its work across Central Kalimantan, Tampelas stands as a practical example of what is possible when communities, conservation goals, and renewable energy align. Clean energy brings more than electricity; it brings opportunity, resilience, and a future that grows alongside the forest. That future reflects exactly what the Katingan Mentaya Project is working to achieve.
For more news and stories click HERE
Buy carbon credits from Katingan
Climate change is a global challenge that requires global action. We can help you meet your commitments to deliver a brighter future.