Planned plant ‘could pollute coastal area’

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Batang, central java | Archipelago | Sat, September 27 2014, 10:16 AM
Activists criticized on Friday the planned construction of a coal-fired power plant (PLTU) in the Batang coastal area of Central Java, warning of potential dire consequences for the environment.

Greenpeace Indonesia climate and energy campaigner Arif Fiyanto claimed that the power plant could pollute the area, which is rich in fishery resources. 

Arif said the PLTU would also increase Indonesia’s contribution to climate change, as it could produce as much as 10.8 million tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to Myanmar’s total gas emissions in 2009.

“At the recent climate congress in New York, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his commitment to curbing the increase in the earth’s temperature by an average of 2 degrees Celsius. That spirit is totally opposed to the construction of power plants fed by filthy coal, which will instead raise CO2 emissions and eventually increase the Earth’s average temperature. 

“Moreover, Indonesia has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia from 26 percent to 41 percent, This obviously won’t happen if the PLTU goes ahead,” said Arif in a release made available to The Jakarta Post.

He added that Greenpeace Indonesia fully supported the fishermen of Batang regency, who also oppose the project. Hundreds of Batang fishermen and other residents recently staged a protest against the PLTU project. 

According to Arif, the power plant would endanger productive rice fields in the area, which at the moment can be harvested three times a year. It would also threaten the food resilience program, said to be one of president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s priority programs, especially as Indonesia is currently a net importer of rice. 

“The project endangers the livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers, fishermen and other residents who rely on farming and fishing for their living,” said Arif.

Separately, a public advocate from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, Wahyu Nandang Herawan, called on the Indonesian government to consider the planned PLTU project wisely.

“Batang residents oppose the project and land owners are refusing to sell their land. As such, it would be right for the government to make the decision to cancel the project.

“If this is allowed to continue, it could turn into an endless battle entailing human rights violations,” stated Wahyu.

The Batang PLTU project, a joint venture between the government and private firm PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia (BPI), was agreed on Oct. 6, 2011 and allotted a 226-hectare area.

However, since early 2012, residents have voiced opposition to the project, and BPI have twice failed to meet the deadline to obtain investment loans set by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), forcing BPI to announce force majeure.

BPI is a consortium made up of two Japanese companies, J-Power and Itochu, which both own 34 percent stakes, and local investor PT Adaro Power, a subsidiary of Adaro Energy.###

As published by The Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/27/planned-plant-could-pollute-coastal-area.html