Dilau Initiative – New Energy Nexus Indonesia

Program

Dilau Initiative

Advancing sustainable fishing and community resilience

About

The Dilau Initiative is a targeted effort to decarbonize Indonesia’s marine and fisheries sector, beginning with coastal communities most vulnerable to climate and economic challenges. The program combines community outreach, capacity building, scalable clean technologies, and marine ecosystem preservation to create lasting impact.

The initiative’s pilot project in Bungin island, the second most densely populated island in the world, supports its fishing-dependent community by introducing electric outboard motors and solar-powered cold storage. The initiative reduces emissions, cuts operational costs, and extends the shelf life of fish catch, which helps minimize waste and improve fisher incomes. It also strengthens local partnerships to scale sustainable practices in coastal communities.

Key objectives

Engage with key stakeholders

Educate & demonstrate

Strengthen government collaboration

Engage with key stakeholders

Collaborate with key community members: fish collectors, mariculture farmers, and village officials to build grassroots support and ensure local relevance.
Partner with academic institutions

Engage with key stakeholders

Educate & demonstrate

Strengthen government collaboration

Educate & demonstrate

Conduct educational workshops to raise awareness of clean technologies.
Implement pilot demonstrations to showcase real-world impact.
Create feedback loops to continuously adapt and improve based on community input.

Engage with key stakeholders

Educate & demonstrate

Strengthen government collaboration

Engage with the Indonesian government to advocate for long-term support and national alignment with sustainability goals.

Build knowledge & ownership

Empower youth

Establish sustainable business models

Build knowledge & ownership

Develop a comprehensive knowledge base on coastal decarbonization.
Foster community ownership by involving locals in planning and decision-making processes.

Build knowledge & ownership

Empower youth

Establish sustainable business models

Empower youth

Actively include youth from Greater Sumbawa in innovation efforts.
Inspire the next generation to contribute to solving local climate and sustainability challenges.

Build knowledge & ownership

Empower youth

Establish sustainable business models

Design a flexible, community-owned business model for technology adoption.
Emphasize transparency and local governance to navigate social and political dynamics effectively.

Our approach

Understanding the community first.

We conducted a feasibility study to explore how solar-powered cold storage and electric outboard motors could be integrated into Bungin Village’s fishing economy. We surveyed fisherfolk and fish collectors; held interviews with key stakeholders: startups, mariculture farmers, restaurant owners, local government, banks, and more. Here are the challenges and opportunities we found:

Challenges:

For many coastal village communities the immediate priority is securing daily necessities, making sustainability a lower concern. In Bungin Village, the fishing sector faces multiple obstacles:

Storage issues

Limited facilities lead to fish spoilage and financial losses.

Fossil fuel dependency

Conventional boat engines are expensive and harmful to the environment; Rising fuel and electricity prices strain fisherfolk’s income.

Excess waste

Styrofoam storage, plastic packaging, and unsold fish contribute to ocean pollution.

Knowledge & trust gaps

Sustainable alternatives like solar-powered cold storage and electric outboard motors exist, but there’s hesitation. A lack of awareness, concerns about upfront costs, and skepticism about new technologies slow adoption.

Opportunities:

High potential for impact

The technology could reduce emissions and improve efficiency.

Adoption barriers

include low awareness, financial concerns, and skepticism toward new tools.

Key enablers for success

Community workshops, clear financial incentives, and strong local support.

Financially viable

With proper planning and risk mitigation, the transition is both economically and environmentally feasible.

Pilot success story

Solar Powered Cold Storage by Olat Maras

Recognizing the island’s strong solar potential, Olat Maras Power, supported by NEX Indonesia, introduced solar-powered cold storage to tackle high electricity costs and reduce fish spoilage. Previously, fishers lost up to 1.9 tons of catch during peak seasons due to inadequate storage.

With this solution, they can now preserve their catch longer, cut waste, and increase product value. By avoiding an estimated 25% spoilage rate, each fish collector can save around IDR 2.4 million (~US$147) per month in losses.

Learn more

Contact us

indonesia@newenergynexus.com