Alternative energy sources such as solar and wind offer cleaner energy compared to coal and oil. Their contribution to the national energy mix is becoming increasingly visible, yet they are still not sufficient to serve as the backbone of the electricity supply.
Despite their promising potential, alternative energy sources also come with inherent limitations. This raises an important question: can integrating them with LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) provide a solution to these challenges? Here are the facts.
What Are the Limitations of Alternative Energy?
Although alternative energy sources promise greener power, they have not yet been able to become the primary pillar of large-scale energy supply.
This is largely due to several key limitations, including:
Intermittency and Weather Dependence
Renewable power plants such as solar and wind suffer from a fundamental limitation: intermittency. Electricity generation is not continuous, as it depends heavily on weather conditions.
Solar power plants only generate electricity when sunlight is available, while wind power output depends on fluctuating wind speeds.
This characteristic poses a major challenge for industrial sectors that require stable baseload power, a minimum level of electricity supply that must be continuously available to ensure system reliability.
Such requirements are still difficult to meet when relying solely on alternative energy sources.
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Infrastructure and Technology Constraints
Large-scale integration of renewable energy still faces challenges related to energy storage technology. Energy storage systems remain relatively expensive and are not yet widely deployed.
In addition, conventional power grids were generally designed for one-way electricity flow, from centralized power plants to consumers.
As a result, many grids are not fully prepared to accommodate fluctuating, two-way power flows from multiple renewable energy sources.
High Upfront Investment Costs
Although alternative energy sources such as solar and wind have relatively low operating costs, developing power plants still requires significant upfront capital expenditure (CAPEX).
These costs include the procurement of solar panels or wind turbines, supporting infrastructure development, and project financing expenses.
Utility-scale solar power plants typically require large land areas, while wind power projects demand careful site planning and specialized infrastructure.
Scale of Production and Location Limitations
Alternative energy sources continue to face challenges in meeting the electricity demands of large industrial users. Their dependence on natural conditions limits their ability to provide stable power without balancing systems.
On the other hand, solar power plants generally require extensive land areas, while wind power development depends on locations with specific wind characteristics.
In densely populated industrial zones, limited land availability becomes a physical constraint that makes on-site power generation difficult.
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How Does LNG Provide a Solution?
One energy source that can effectively address the shortcomings of alternative energy is LNG. There are several reasons why LNG plays a critical role in integrating renewables into modern energy systems:
Addressing Renewable Energy Intermittency
In modern energy systems, LNG is not positioned as the primary baseload source, but rather as fuel for flexible and dispatchable power generation.
This flexibility is precisely what makes gas-fired power plants essential in electricity systems with increasing shares of renewable energy.
Gas-fired power plants can start up and adjust output rapidly, making them ideal for balancing fluctuations in solar and wind generation.
As a result, when solar output declines due to weather conditions or at night, LNG-based power plants can quickly ramp up to maintain supply stability.
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A Practical Solution While Energy Storage Remains Limited
Given the current limitations of battery storage technology, high costs, and limited discharge duration, LNG-fired power plants can function as flexible backup energy sources.
Gas plants are capable of fast ramping and rapid load-following, making them highly effective in balancing the variability of solar and wind energy.
Mitigating High Upfront Investment Challenges
Small-scale LNG and modular approaches, such as virtual pipelines, enable LNG distribution to remote locations using trucks or small vessels, without the need to build extensive pipeline infrastructure.
This flexibility offers industries a lower-capital pathway to reduce emissions compared to investing in large-scale pipeline projects.
As a result, LNG serves as an affordable and adaptable transition fuel that can be tailored to different locations and industrial scales.
Integrating alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, with LNG-based power generation significantly enhances system reliability and stability.
Renewables deliver sustainability, while gas-fired power plants respond rapidly to supply fluctuations, supporting industrial productivity without compromising operational stability.
This combination represents a key strategy in a gradual and pragmatic energy transition toward long-term decarbonization.
References:
- Kementrian ESDM. Accessed 2025. Prakiraan Penyediaan dan Pemanfaatan Energi Skenario Optimalisasi EBT Daerah
- Kementerian ESDM. Accessed 2025. Menteri ESDM: Pemanfaatan Gas Jadi Prioritas Nasional
- Kementerian ESDM. Accessed 2025. Menteri ESDM Tegaskan Gas Jembatani Proses Transisi Energi Bersih
- IEA. Accessed 2025. Renewable Integration
- EIA. Accessed 2025. Use of natural gas-fired generation differs in the United States by technology and region
