Across many of Indonesia’s remote islands, fishers like Pak Rohman from Pagerungan Kecil Island face a daily dilemma: go out to sea without ice or watch their catch spoil before it reaches the market.

Limited access to electricity lies at the heart of the problem. Without 24-hour power, ice production is impossible. As a result, around 50 percent of fish lose freshness, while another 10 percent spoil completely before landing. To buy ice, fishers must travel for an hour by speedboat to the nearest administrative island and pay IDR 4,000 per kilogram, a growing burden as fish prices continue to decline. This situation creates a cycle of vulnerability that makes it difficult for fishing communities to escape energy poverty.

NUSACUBE: A clean energy cooling solution

To address this challenge, PT Alana Green Electric developed NUSACUBE, a cooling system powered by a hybrid solar and wind energy setup. During the day, the system runs on solar power, while at night it harnesses coastal winds when fishers are resting. The energy generated is used to convert brackish water into clean water and to produce ice.

NUSACUBE is designed to be energy-efficient, fast, and easy to maintain. By modifying a standard outdoor air-conditioning unit that is already familiar to local communities and combining it with a saltwater-immersed evaporator, the system accelerates the freezing process. This approach is particularly important for Indonesia’s 3T regions (underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost areas), where technology must be robust without being complex to operate or maintain.

Currently, two NUSACUBE units are in operation, producing up to 900 kilograms of ice per day and serving as the backbone of the cold chain for fishers on Pagerungan Kecil Island. Local government support has played a key role through both funding and in-kind contributions. Over nearly five years, NUSACUBE has progressed through three phases: site surveys and unit delivery, installation and local technical training, and full operation with ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

Recognition through the KINETIK NEX grant

NUSACUBE’s journey from concept to real-world implementation in 3T fishing communities earned it a grant from the KINETIK NEX Entrepreneurship Program, an initiative by New Energy Nexus Indonesia supported by KINETIK, the Australia–Indonesia Partnership for Climate, Renewable Energy, and Infrastructure. The total grant funding amounts to IDR 1.6 billion.

With this support, PT Alana Green Electric will pilot NUSACUBE on Sadulang Besar Island, home to approximately 2,500 active fishers. The system, targeted to produce 500 kilograms of ice per day, is projected to:

• Increase annual income for 60 fishers by up to IDR 15.5 billion
• Reduce operational costs by approximately IDR 1 billion per year
• Cut carbon emissions by 206 tons annually, through the replacement of diesel-powered systems and reduced travel to other islands to purchase ice

A multidimensional solution

According to Dana Saputra, “NUSACUBE is not just an environmentally friendly technology for producing clean water and ice. It is a multidimensional solution that promotes clean energy independence, drives local economic activity, and strengthens food security in some of the most underserved areas of the country.”

The NUSACUBE innovation demonstrates that clean energy technology is not only about solar panels, wind turbines, or cooling machines. It is about people. It is about ensuring that fish caught through hard labor remain marketable, reducing crushing operational costs, and restoring hope to small islands long defined by limited access to energy.

After a long journey developing NUSACUBE on Pagerungan Kecil Island, refining the model through the KINETIK NEX Entrepreneurship Program alongside 14 of Indonesia’s most promising startups, and ultimately becoming a finalist and grant recipient, Dana Saputra shared a message for aspiring climate entrepreneurs:

“Our message to those who are just starting out or thinking about building climate solutions is simple: do it. Not everyone has the ideas or the drive to build solutions for Indonesia, especially in 3T areas that still lack access to electricity and energy. Stay motivated and just do it.”

Congratulations to PT Alana Green Electric on NUSACUBE’s success in securing support from the KINETIK NEX Entrepreneurship Program. This innovation represents new hope for thousands of fishers striving for more sustainable livelihoods powered by clean energy.

To follow the progress of NUSACUBE and PT Alana Green Electric’s work in delivering clean energy solutions to coastal communities, visit www.alanaelectric.com or follow @alanaelectric on Instagram.