REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Greenpeace Indonesia has called for the cancellation of plan to build a coal-fired power plant (PLTU) in Central Java as it would hurt the country economically and in environmental aspect.
"There are many facts supporting the theory that the PLTU Batang would hurt the country and the people," Arif Fiyanto, a spokesman of the non governmental organization said here on Tuesday.
Arif said the Indonesian government should use the US$4 billion fund to finance the 2 million kilowatt power plant for renewable energy project, which would be clean and sustainable.
The Indonesia unit of Greenpeace said PLTU Batang project would issue around 10.8 million tons of carbon (more than carbon emissions produced in Myanmar in 2009) and 226 kilograms of mercury every year.
Arif reminded President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of his commitment to reduce greenhouse emission by 26 percent in 2020.
He also reminded the government of its program to develop renewable energy to contribute 25 percent to the country's energy mix by 2025.
He said in providing electricity for the people, the government should not endanger the livelihood and health of thousands of local people and create a threat to the earth climate stability.
"Latest research showed that Indonesia could lead the world in global heat," he said.
He said Indonesia has the largest or 40 percent of the world's geothermal reserves and abundant reserves of other sources of renewable energy like water and wind energy.
What the country needs is determination of the government in bringing to reality its commitment, he said.
Earlier, General Manager of the Central Java unit of state power utility company PLN Djoko R. Abumanan said the plan to build a coal-fired power plant in the regency of Batang needs to be implemented immediately to forestall energy crisis in that region.
"Currently power supply from the Java-Bali interconnection averages 26,000 megawatts, and requirement grows 10 percent higher than the government's expectation of 5-6 percent a year," Djoko has said.
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