Environmental and Social Problemsof Coal Power Plant in Indonesia
Pius Ginting
Head of Research Unit WALHIFriends of the Earth Indonesia
WALHI
pius.ginting@gmail.com

Social and Environmental Problem ofCoal Power Plants (CPPs) in Indonesia• Forced land acquisition and human rights
abuses• Weak environmental regulations• Decreasing source of livelihood• Health Impact

Map of Crisis Electricity
in Dry Season 2014
Legend:Name of system
DemandReserve (%)

Source: Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

Java has been surplus 31%

Yet CPPs Build Mostly In Java

Electricity Program 35,000 MW (2014-2019)
and Other Ongoing Projects
Source: Ministry Energy and Mineral Resources

Investor for 35,000 MW (2014-2019)

Investor: Japan is 2nd Biggest Investor

Forced Land Acquisition
and Human Rights Abuses• Government started to use
Law 2/2012 for forced landacquisition for building
power plants. Started in
Batang, Central Java.
• Community resisting landacquisition in:– Batang, Central Java
(2,000MW, JBIC is considering)– Indramayu, West Java
(1,000MW, JICA is considering)– Cirebon, West Java
(660 MW, JBIC funded)(Expansion 1,000MW, JBIC isexpected)

Forced Land Acquisition
and Human Rights Abuses
Batang Power Plant:• Owned by Itochu, J-POWER and Adaro Indonesia.
• Land acquisition started since 2011 by company.
• Since then, military and police came to community
houses to force them to sell the land to the company.
• Company in collaboration with the government using
the Law 2/2012 since 2014. Using military engineer.
• Company in collaboration with thug to intimidate
communities, and also activists.
• Community sued Governor of Central Java in Aug 2015
for issuing a decree on Land for Batang Power Plant.
Communities lost in Regional and Supreme Courts.
• However, Law No.2/2012 Land Acquisition for
Development in Public Interest should not be applied inthis case (Non retroactive. Non public project).

Indonesia Low Environmental Protection
Compare to Japan

Source: FoE Japan

Environmental Protection Regulation
Intensity of Pollutants (ton/MWh)• Generally, CPPs in Indonesia have higher
emissions per volume of SOx and NOx,
compare to the ones in developed
countries.
• Emissions per volume of SO2 and NO2 of
JBIC-funded CPP (Tanjung Jati B, Paiton
Energy Company) is high in Indonesia.

Environmental Protection Regulation• Community in Celukan
Bawang , Bali, protest
about close distance(2 meter) of Chinafunded coal power
plant’s waste disposal
to community housing.

Decreasing Source of Livelihood
Egg plants, chili covered withdust nearby Tanjung Jati B coal
power plants (2640 MW, JBICfunded), reducing vegetables
productivity in Jepara, Central
Java

Lower quality and productivity of
tobacco leaves presumably
covered with fly ash nearby
Paiton power plants (A few plants
were funded by JBIC) in East Java

Decreasing Source of Livelihood
Salt pond turn to black
because pollution into seawater presumably
from JBIC-funded coal
power plant in Cirebon,
West JavaDecreasing Source of Livelihood
Fisher folk communities
reported about more than 50%
reduction of fish catchment inCirebon and Jepara. Shrimps
has been sucking into the water
intake in Jepara.
Small shrimp and fish as well as
various types of shellfish in thecoastal area nearby Cirebon
Power Plant has been
decreasing.

Health Impact
6,500 people ofIndonesia diedprematurely every year
because of pollution
from coal power plants.
(Human Cost of Coal Power, How Coal
Powered Power Plants Threaten theHealth of Indonesians,
Greenpeace 2015)

Message• Japan and G7 Countries should stop funding new coal
power plant in Indonesia because :• It is triggering violence and human rights
violation into communities (fishery folks andpeasants).
• It is triggering land grab for power plants• It is worsening health condition of communities.

• Japan and G7 countries should help provide safe
renewable energy for Indonesian communities.
Thank you/Arigatou gozaimasu