Jakarta – PT PLN Energi Primer Indonesia (EPI) ensures that natural gas still plays a crucial role in maintaining the reliability of the national electricity supply. This year, the company projects that the gas demand for the electricity sector will reach 1.5 billion cubic feet daily (MMSCFD).
PLN EPI’s Director of Gas and Fuel, Rakhmad Dewanto, at the Energy Corner event on Friday, 25 April, explained that while coal is still dominant in the generation energy mix, gas remains vital as a transitional energy and load balancer.
“Gas is used for about 20 per cent of the total energy mix of PLN’s power plants today. The majority is still from coal, around 70%. The rest comes from hydro, geothermal, and solar power,” Rakhmad said.
The gas used by PLN for power generation is large and significant for national domestic consumption. Rakhmad explained that PLN’s use of gas accounts for 40% of domestic gas consumption, or 30% of total national production.
“If we look at the proportion, PLN absorbs almost half of the total gas consumption in the country. This shows how important gas is for our electricity system,” he said.
Although gas is still classified as a fossil fuel, Rakhmad emphasised that its technical characteristics make it relevant, especially in assisting the growth of intermittent renewable energy (NRE).
“Gas plants are a fast response. This means they can switch on quickly when needed. This is important to balance renewable energy plants such as solar and wind, which are highly dependent on the weather,” he explained.
He also mentioned that in PLN’s electricity system, gas is the first choice before petrol, which is more expensive and less efficient.
A gradual push towards clean energy
Although still relying on fossil energy, PLN EPI is said to continue making adjustments and strategies to support the national energy transition. Gas is an important bridge in the transition from coal to a cleaner and more sustainable system.
“We have not been able to get away from coal, but we continue to encourage the integration of renewable energy. Gas is a transitional bridge that allows the system to remain reliable while NRE continues to be developed,” said Rakhmad.
While the generation energy mix is still dominated by coal and gas, PLN has prepared a decarbonisation roadmap that targets an increasing share of clean energy in the next few decades. On the other hand, gas supply infrastructure also continues to be strengthened to ensure smooth distribution to power plants.
This step is part of the effort to maintain national energy security while balancing current needs and the long-term vision towards net-zero emissions. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2024)
