Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia has again highlighted the environmental impact of captive power plants and urged the government to immediately revoke the exemption for these facilities in the energy transition policy. According to the environmental organisation, the existence of captive power plants that are still allowed to operate in the industrial sector actually hinders Indonesia’s efforts to reduce dependence on coal.
Bondan Andriyanu, Head of Greenpeace Indonesia’s Climate and Energy Campaign Team, wrote on Greenpeace Indonesia’s website on Wednesday, 5 March, that pollution from captive power plants has caused severe environmental damage.
Quoting the Walhi report, Bondan said that “in Morosi, Southeast Sulawesi, coal burning at the captive PLTU has polluted 151 hectares of community land that was previously used as a fish pond. The ash mixes with the air and settles on the land and water sources, causing a decrease in groundwater quality until it is no longer productive”.
Furthermore, Bondan explained that waste from PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI) captive power plant has polluted the Lee River, disrupting the aquatic ecosystem and harming the livelihoods of local fishermen. In addition, communities around the captive power plant’s operational area face difficulties in gaining access to clean air and water suitable for consumption.
The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has also studied the adverse impacts of captive power plant operations. According to the latest research, by 2025, the early retirement of captive power plants such as the 660 MW Cirebon-1 will provide significant health benefits.
The CREA report said that if these plants were stopped early, as many as 6,370 premature deaths could be prevented, and the economic burden due to health impacts could be reduced by USD 4.4 billion or around Rp 67 trillion between 2036 and 2042.
As part of the pressure on the government, Greenpeace Indonesia and the Sulawesi Without Pollution Coalition launched a policy brief calling for an end to exempting captive power plants from the energy transition policy. They highlighted the existence of 35 captive PLTU units in Sulawesi with a total capacity of 5,665 MW, which extends Indonesia’s dependence on fossil energy.
Bondan said, “Indonesia’s dependence on coal makes the energy transition target unrealistic.” He said the government should revise Presidential Regulation No. 112 of 2022 to no longer provide exemptions for captive power plants and immediately include these facilities in the phase-out plan.
Greenpeace emphasises that a just energy transition should focus on developing renewable energy, not maintaining coal-based plants that continue to pollute the environment and endanger public health. (Hartatik)
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