Where are the Coal-Fired Power Plants Contributing to Jakarta's Air Pollution Located?

Air pollution in Jakarta has come under scrutiny due to its ranking among the worst in the world. The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) and Greenpeace state that one of the contributors to the poor air quality is coal-fired power plants (PLTU). Walhi estimates that these PLTU contribute 20-30% of Jakarta's air pollution, while transportation contributes 30-40%.

However, these accusations were refuted by I Made Suprateka, VP of Corporate Communication at Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). He stated that 70% of Jakarta's air pollution is caused by motor vehicles. Furthermore, Made argued that PLTU are unlikely to be the cause of Jakarta's air pollution because of their considerable distance from the city.

According to Made, every PLN PLTU is equipped with pollution control technology, such as super ultra-critical technology. This statement was made during a meeting with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, and environmental organizations.

Based on Greenpeace research in 2017, there are 10 coal-fired PLTU within 100 km of the capital. These coal-fired PLTU are distributed as follows: 7 operating and 3 under construction in Banten; 2 operating and 1 under construction in Bekasi; and 1 operating PLTU in West Java.

(Read Databoks: Greenpeace Projects 5,260 Premature Deaths Due to Air Pollution from PLTU)