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New energy technology ‘too risky’ to pave way to net-zero target
Indonesia is banking on new energy technologies to meet its carbon emission goals while keeping coal power plants running, but experts say that plan is risky given a range of uncertainties.
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Fishermen sail past as smoke rises from the chimneys of the Suralaya coal-fired power plant in Cilegon, Banten, in this undated photo. (AFP/Ronald Siagian)
B
y deploying new energy technologies Indonesia is seeking to meet its carbon emission goals while keeping its coal-fired power plants running, but experts believe that plan is risky given the many uncertainties of its implementation.
Adhityani Putri, executive director of renewables pressure group Yayaysan Indonesia Cerah, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that it was too risky to depend on new energy technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), considering the costs and safety concerns as well as the fact that one-third of all electricity would still come from coal in 2050.
“We are doubtful that [Indonesia] can equip enough coal-fired power plants with CCS to help meet its long-term emissions-reduction target by 2050,” said Adhityani. She added that safety and economic concerns needed to be addressed before placing a "big bet" on CCS in the long-term climate policy.
Indonesia has begun to implement “high efficiency, low emissions” coal technology in the hope of extending the use of its coal resources. State-owned electricity monopoly PLN has announced a plan to deploy carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technology by 2035 and to operate nuclear power plants by 2040 within Indonesia's power grid to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
Read also: PLN plans to use carbon capture, nuclear by 2040
Adila Isfandiari, a senior climate and energy researcher with Greenpeace Indonesia, said the use of CCS was not an excuse to keep using coal or adding more coal-fired power plants in the next 10 years.
“With the current trajectory, [Indonesia’s coal-fired power plants] will produce the largest greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in 2030 at 82 million tons per year,” she told the Post on Thursday.
