Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Wednesday (21/8) that the government might shut down the operation of some generating units at the Suralaya Coal-Fired Power Plant (PLTU) to reduce air pollution in Jakarta.
Luhut said the government plans to close 2 gigawatts (GW) of the total 4GW of generating capacity operated by the Suralaya PLTU, located in Cilegon, Banten.
“(Closing Suralaya) is important for air pollution in Jakarta,” Luhut said on the sidelines of a solar energy conference in Jakarta. “We are discussing and we will announce soon.”
The State Electricity Company (PLN), which operates the Suralaya PLTU, did not immediately comment.
PLN operates eight generating units in the Suralaya PLTU complex. The oldest generating unit in the PLTU has been operating since 1980.
Suralaya PLTU is one of the power plants that supplies electricity to Jakarta. However, Suralaya is also accused of being the cause of high levels of air pollution in Jakarta, which is inhabited by around 10 million people.
Jakarta residents complain about poor air quality from chronic traffic jams, industrial smoke and coal-fired power plants. In 2021, several Jakarta residents filed a civil lawsuit, demanding that the government take steps to control air pollution.
Deputy Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Rachmat Kaimuddin, said on the sidelines of the same conference that discussions on cost calculations and other details for closing generating units at the Suralaya PLTU were still ongoing.
While the government is considering shutting down the operations of a number of generating units at the Suralaya PLTU, on the other hand, PLN is still increasing its generating capacity.
Through a joint venture established with PT Barito Pacific, PT Indo Raya Tenaga, PLN is building a PLTU in Suralaya with a more modern coal-fired capacity to supply electricity to Java and Bali.
The new power generation unit will be operational by the end of August, Reuters reported, citing the news agency. Antara. (ft/rs)
