PLN plans trial phase to use 100% CPO in power plants

by Nova Farida

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN plans to start trial phase this year to use 100 percent crude palm oil (CPO) in three diesel-fired power plants and one gas-fired power plant with combined capacity of 132 MW. “We have conducted the study. We decided to implement the trial phase of using 100 percent CPO for diesel and gas-fired power plants. This is part of efforts to reduce consumption of diesel fuel in power plants,” said Director of Planning at PLN Syofvi Roekman on Thursday.

The four power plants include the 50 MW Batakan diesel-fired power plant (PLTD) in Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), 62 MW PLTD in Pare-Pare (South Sulawesi), 10 MW PLTD Kanaan in Bontang (East Kalimantan), and 10 MW gas engine power plant (PLTMG) in Jayapura (Papua). She said that the crude palm oil will be supplied by palm oil plantations owned by Sinar Mas Group located near the power plants.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak