It Requires Funds Of Up To 75 Billion US Dollars For Various Energy Transition Programs, PLN Opens Investment Cooperation Opportunities

President Director of PLN Darmawan Prasodjo. (Photo: Doc. Antara/PLN)

JAKARTA - The State Electricity Company (PLN) has an ambitious target in the 2021-2030 Electric Power Supply Business Plan (RUPTL). One of them is about the energy transition to provide a better living space for future generations.

In this Green RUPTL, the portion of new and renewable energy-based power plants in 2030 is targeted to reach 29 gigawatts (GW). To achieve this target, PLN will add new EBT plants of up to 20.9 GW.

PLN will also support industries in the Green Industrial Estate through EBT generators.

"Our vision for the future is not only to provide reliable electricity for the community, but also to distribute green energy that is environmentally friendly. We must pass on to future generations a healthy and green living space," said PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo at the Energy Transition Working Group meeting (ETWG) 1 in Yogyakarta, Thursday, March 24.

Darmawan said PLN needs a total of 75 billion US dollars to make this energy transition. PLN opens up opportunities for cooperation in terms of investment, financial funds, and technology sharing to realize all these plans.

PLN has also mapped out all opportunities that can be utilized to support the achievement of net zero emission (NZE) 2060. One of them is the development of EBT plants in accordance with

"In 2021, we have built a 623 megawatt (MW) EBT plant, the majority of which are hydroelectric power plants (PLTA)," said Darmawan.

According to Darmawan, this year PLN will increase the installed capacity of the EBT plant by 228 MW. He detailed that there would be a PLTP operating at 45 MW. Meanwhile, PLTA and PLTM will increase by 178 MW and bioenergy power plants by 5 MW.

Not only intensifying the construction of EBT plants, PLN is also in parallel running the scenario of early retirement from steam power plants (PLTU) in stages until 2056.

The first stage, until 2030, PLN will reduce 5.5 GW of PLTU. In the second stage, PLN will retire 10 GW of subcritical PLTU in 2040. Meanwhile, in 2050, PLN will end its 18 GW of subcritical and 7 GW of supercritical PLTU.

"The last stage in 2055, the 10 GW ultra-supercritical power plant will be retired," said Darmawan.

He emphasized that PLN would replace the PLTU with an EBT generator. "This figure will contribute to a total emission reduction of 53 million tons of CO₂," said Darmawan.

Reducing carbon emissions cannot wait for all PLTUs to retire. Thus, PLN in the operation of PLTU also applies environmentally friendly technology. PLN, for example, uses ultra-supercritical technology and co-firing on steam power plants that are currently still operating.

This co-firing program is an effort to accelerate the achievement of the target of 23 percent NRE energy mix without having to build new plants by substituting part of the need for coal with biomass in 52 PLTUs.

The co-firing program is one of the first steps for reducing emissions. As of February 2022, the co-firing program has been implemented in 28 PLTUs with a total green energy production of 96.061 MWh.

"We are also running a dedieselization program through the conversion of diesel power plants (PLTD) in remote areas to NRE-based power plants through a hybrid scheme," said Darmawan.

Other programs prepared by PLN to support the energy transition are gas expansion, development of electricity storage technology in the form of large batteries, to carbon and hydrogen capture technology. PLN also continues to improve energy efficiency and reduce grid losses.

"We are also aggressively campaigning for an electrifying lifestyle by inviting people to switch to electricity-based equipment, such as induction cookers to electric vehicles," he said.