Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PT PLN said that optimising biomass with co-firing technology at coal-fired power plants enabled the reduction of 1.05 million tons of carbon emissions, and the production of 1.04 terawatt hours of clean energy, throughout 2023, according to Antara.
PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo stated that the company had been developing means to use biomass as a substitute for coal since 2021.
"Co-firing technology is a breakthrough in the country's energy transition efforts, as this technology offers plenty of benefits. In addition to reducing emissions, this technology will help us break free from reliance on fossil-based energy," he said in a statement.
He added that, last year, PLN utilised as much as one million tons of biomass for the operation of 43 coal-fired power plants (PLTU) across Indonesia. This is an increase of 71% in biomass usage as compared to 2022.
According to the president director, PLN will continue to conduct tests on the co-firing technology until 2025, with the objective of applying the technology in all 52 PLTU in the country.
Prasodjo went on to say that in late 2023, the company successfully used 100% biomass for operating the Sintang PLTU, West Kalimantan, for 15 days, setting a record for the longest duration in Indonesia.
"The 100% of biomass utilisation serves as proof of PLN's consistency in providing clean energy for a better Indonesia. I hope that this success will motivate us to do the same in other PLTU," he said.
PLN has been developing an ecosystem for biomass by collaborating with communities, according to Prasodjo.
Since March 2023, he stated that PLN has been working along with the Yogyakarta Special Region provincial government to develop a green economy zone with the aim of involving local residents in achieving the net-zero emission 2060 target.
"As a state-run enterprise, our responsibility is not limited to providing clean energy. We have been innovating to cover various aspects, support people's economy, preserve forest areas, rehabilitate barren lands, and escape the reliance on fossil-based fuel," he stated.
“Indonesia’s biomass utilisation in coal-fired plants increased by 71% last year”
