Indonesia's Prabowo Vows to Close Coal Plants in 15 Years

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto says his government plans to retire all coal power plants over the next 15 years and ramp up renewable energy.

“Indonesia is rich in geothermal resources, and we plan to phase out coal-fired and all fossil-fueled power plants within the next 15 years. Our plan includes building over 75 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity during this time,” Subianto was quoted as saying at the G20 summit in Brazil recently, according to a report by Associated Press.

Subianto said he was “optimistic” that this country would achieve net zero emissions by 2050 – a decade sooner than Jakarta’s previous commitment. But energy experts and environmental activists were sceptical, it said, because Indonesia is one of the world’s biggest consumers of coal, with more than 250 coal-power plants – and more are being built, at industrial parks where commodities like nickel, cobalt and aluminum are being processed.

In 2022, Indonesia’s energy sector emitted over 650 million tons of carbon dioxide, making it the world’s seventh highest CO2 emitter, according to the International Energy Agency. And aside from its heavy reliance on coal, the country’s population and economy are expected to triple the country’s energy consumption by 2050.

Read the full report: Associated Press.