PLN Prepares A Flexible EBT Power Plant System

PLN's Director of Transmission and System Planning, Evy Haryadi. (Photo: Doc.PLN)

PT PLN (Persero) is currently preparing a flexible power generation system to support the energy transition in Indonesia.

This flexible plant is considered important so that electricity supply is always reliable for 24 hours.

PLN's Director of Transmission and System Planning, Evy Haryadi, said that one of the important factors is the success of the fossil energy transition program to new and renewable energy (EBT) by preparing technology that can accommodate the EBT resource mix to enter the PLN system.

So, continued Haryadi, the first thing that must be solved is the calculation of supply and electricity demand from EBT.

"In the past, fluctuations were only in terms of electricity demand. Once using an EBT generator, fluctuations also occurred in terms of supply. Because we know the sun doesn't keep shining and the wind stops blowing. So we need a flexible generator so that electricity supply is always available 24 hours," he said in an official statement, Wednesday, November 30.

He further explained that flexible plants are power plants that can anticipate the nature of intermittents in the EBT mix. Thus, it can minimize the impact of changing weather conditions on the reliability of electricity supply.

PLN has carried out various innovations to encourage the fossil energy transition to EBT, where the 2021-2030 Electric Power Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) for EBT has reached 51.6 percent of the total power plant in the PLN system.

"As planned, we will reduce carbon emissions through increasing the utilization of EBT. Well, we are currently preparing how this EBT is not only reliable and efficient, but also affordable by the community," he said.

Haryadi added, in the PLN draft, currently the hydroelectric power plant (PLTA) has great potential because production costs are low and also very flexible. The development challenge lies in the limited local water/hydro potential.

Meanwhile, geothermal-based power plants (PLTP) are still constrained by infrastructure and high operational costs.

"Currently, PLN relies on PLTA and PLTP as flexible power plants. In the future, with the increasingly varied EBTs that are included in the PLN system, we increasingly need flexible plants. Considering that most fossil plants we use as base loads," he added.

The target set by PLN until 2030, EBT is able to produce 20.9 Giga Watt (GW) out of a total of 40.6 GW of PLN electricity. With details of PLTA 10.4 GW, PLTS 4.7 GW, PLTP 3.4 GW, and 2.5 GW generated from other EBT plants.

Currently, PLN is building a Smart Micro Grid with digitalized generating and distribution management.

"We are also building a Smart Micro Grid to increase the use of EBT in isolated areas. So, I need to reiterate that the energy transition is an opportunity for this nation to take over the future," he concluded.