PLN Identifies 4 Criteria for Early Retirement of Coal Power Plants

PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has prepared four criteria for early retirement of coal-fired power plants (PLTU). The first is that PLTU is not feasible if carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) facilities are built. "If it is impossible to build it due to space factors and so on, then the PLTU will be prioritized for retirement," Herry Nugraha, Executive Vice President of Power Generation and New & Renewable Energy at PLN, said on Monday.

The second is the age of the power plant, its reliability function, and the generator's location. Herry said that PLTUs would retire early, especially those on the island of Java, by referring to the age of the generator. In addition, it also considers the function of adding capacity and reliability. "From a location perspective, it is possible that the PLTU must supply factories or the capital city; this will be important. But it is different if the PLTU is in Central and Southern Java; it's too far to supply to Jakarta or Semarang, for example, maybe that's also a priority," he said.