Jakarta. State-owned utility firm PLN recently reaffirmed its commitment to achieving a net zero emission by 2060. The company is also making efforts towards that goal.

For instance, PLN has launched a roadmap to retire a combined 6.7 gigawatts of coal-fired power plants. This consists of 3.2-gigawatt natural retirement based on the plant’s economic life and a 3.5-gigawatt conditional early retirement in 2040. In addition to early retirement, PLN has slashed the capacity of coal plants from 27 gigawatts to 13.9 gigawatts on its corporate plan.

“We PLN are committed to supporting the government’s program of achieving clean energy. For this reason, PLN is taking quick steps,” PLN president director Darmawan Prasodjo said at the Energy Transition Day event in Nusa Dua, Bali on Tuesday.

PLN is also implementing biomass co-firing to lower coal usage in its power plant. PLN has adopted this scheme at 33 coal-fired power plants since 2021. This scheme has reduced 656 tons of CO2 emission as of Sep. 2022, according to Darmawan.

The co-firing schemes with hydrogen and ammonia are also in process of implementation. There are currently three pilot projects of co-firing hydrogen and ammonia, with three different partnerships.

PLN is also looking to study the possibility of implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) to enable emission abatement in thermal power plants, by partnering with Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Inpex, and Medco Energi. 

Darmawan added that PLN was also accelerating its new and renewable energy (NRE) power plant development. According to its 2021-2030 business plan, PLN has planned an additional NRE capacity of 20.9 GW - equal to 51.6 percent of the total new power plant capacity.

The company is also working on a smart grid & control system. This would boost efficiency in power generation, while also reducing emissions through digitalization in every PLN business process line, according to Darmawan.

PLN also enables its stakeholders to decarbonize their scope-2 emissions by offering a green-energy-as-a-service, which consists of green energy from specific renewable plants as well as a renewable energy certificate (REC). Since 2021, PLN has delivered ~1.5 TWh of green energy to more than 230 stakeholders comparing state-owned enterprises, the government, businesses, and industry players.

Darmawan said PLN also continued to develop Indonesia’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem to help decarbonize the transport sector. PLN has built 240 charging stations and onboarded 15 partners into its EV ecosystem in a bid to further expand the charging infrastructure.

 “The hard work that PLN is doing today is not solely for this generation, but also for our grandchildren’s generation. Therefore, PLN invites all parties to collaborate in this energy transition,” Darmawan said.