TEMPO.CO, Batang - International environmental organization Greenpeace urged the government to optimize the use of renewable energy instead of continuing with the plan to develop the coal fired power plant (PLTU) in Batang, Central Java.
Head of Greenpeace Indonesia’s Climate and Energy Campaign, Arif Fihayanto, stated that Indonesia holds 40 percent of the world’s geothermal energy.
"That energy can produce 29,000 megawatts of electricity," said Arif.
Arif said Indonesia only uses five percent of its geothermal energy and should begin to let go of its dependency on coal in order to carry out the President’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions up to 26 percent by 2020.
Greenpeace has calculated that the coal power plant in Batang will unleash as much as 10.8 million tons of carbon emission per year.
The plant will also release up to 220 kilograms of heavy metal emissions in the form of mercury per year. Mercury has the potential to pollute ten hectares of watery areas and its fishery. Arif added that burning coal will also produce other toxic and dangerous pollutants.
In order to prevent any future environmental issues, Greenpeace has advised Indonesian government to optimize other renewable energy as another source of energy.
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