Develop New Renewable Energy, Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Ensures No New PLTU Construction

Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Ego Syahrial. (Photo: Maria Trisnawati Pongo)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has ensured that there will be no construction of a new Steam Power Plant (PLTU) to develop new and renewable energy (EBT) in Indonesia.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ego Syahrial, said that the government would reduce the use of fossil fuel energy and begin to encourage the construction of power plants that are cleaner, less emissions, and environmentally friendly.

In addition, said Ego, the government will continue to massively develop NRE, including the development of Solar Power Plants (PLTS), Wind Power Plants (PLTA), Geothermal Power Plants, Hydro Power Plants, and Nuclear Power Plants.

"For marine energy, the strait in Indonesia has very good potential, then for hydro or hydroelectric power plants already exist in North Kalimantan and Meembramo in Papua. Meanwhile, for wind power, there is already a pilot project in Sulawesi," said Ego at the Green Economy Indonesia Summit. 2022 which will be monitored in Jakarta, Wednesday 11 May.

In addition to massive development, this is also accompanied by a reduction in the use of fossil energy with no new PLTU additions except those that are already under contract or are in the construction process.

This is stated in the energy transition roadmap to carbon neutral which has been announced at COP-26 in Glasgow, UK.

"We are trying to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 or sooner," added Ego.

For this reason, the government has started to build a 3.6 gigawatt PLTS roof with a potential mix increase of 0.8 percent and will gradually retire the PLTU until it stops completely in 2060.

"Our focus in this roadmap is to gradually retire the steam power plant. What we are now doing is converting diesel power plants to EBT," he explained.

He detailed that, in total, Indonesia has 2,300 PLTD spread throughout Indonesia which have begun to be converted into EBT with the transition to gas use.