Preventing blackouts, RI Govt allocates additional coal quotas for PLN

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has approved additional coal production quotas exclusively for state utility PT PLN to secure fuel supplies for power plants and reduce the risk of electricity shortages, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said.

The additional coal quota is allocated solely for PLN, Director General of Mineral and Coal Tri Winarno said on Friday.

Tri said the government is working to maintain stable domestic coal supplies.

He said authorities want to avoid restricting production, which could disrupt power plant fuel supplies, while preventing excess coal from flooding export markets.

"We must meet domestic demand while ensuring there is no oversupply," he said.

Tri urged eligible mining companies to submit revised Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) documents before the July 31 deadline to support supply planning.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said the utility is strengthening Indonesia's electricity system, particularly on Java, to reduce the risk of future power outages.

For the short term, PLN has secured additional coal supplies with calorific values above 4,500 kilocalories per kilogram.

PLN expects an additional 1.8 million metric tons of coal in July and another 3 million metric tons between August and December, Darmawan said.

The utility is also modifying coal-fired power plants to use lower-calorie coal, reducing dependence on higher-grade fuel and strengthening long-term supply security.

Darmawan said upgrades at the Suralaya 6 and 7 generating units demonstrate the strategy's effectiveness.

The two units can now operate using coal with calorific values of about 4,100-4,300 kilocalories per kilogram, compared with their original requirement of 4,600-4,800 kilocalories per kilogram.

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Translator: Putu Indah Savitri, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

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