ITB and International Institute of Quantified Carbon Collaborate to Explore Potential of Shifting Coal Power Plants in Indonesia with Nuclear Energy
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and the International Institute for Quantified Carbon has forged a strategic partnership through the innovative program, Repower, that committed to transforming coal-fired Steam Power Plant (PLTU) facilities into sustainable energy sources. This collaboration aims to assess the feasibility of replacing coal-fired power plants in Indonesia with nuclear energy, aligning with Indonesia's commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
In this collaboration, ITB will prepare a comprehensive report covering market research, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and policy analysis in both English and Indonesian. The goal is to evaluate the feasibility of converting coal-fired power plants to low-carbon energy solutions, including nuclear, renewable energy, and carbon capture and storage with fossil energy.
This research aims to explore the potential for reusing existing coal infrastructure to mitigate investment losses resulting from premature closure. Additionally, the study will explore alternative options to effectively utilize the infrastructure and assess the economic feasibility of implementing nuclear energy as a replacement or modification for existing coal facilities. Similar studies have been conducted in Poland, South Korea, and China.
Bob S. Effendi, Repower Team Project Manager for ITB and energy practitioner, expressed his optimism about the potential impact of this project. “I personally hope that coal-fired power plants can be proposed as an option in the soon-to-be revised National Energy Policy. Thus, this could be a solution to convert existing coal-fired power plants into clean energy facilities while maintaining economics and operational reliability,” he stated on Sunday (12/11/2023).
Meanwhile, Vice Rector of Research and Innovations ITB, Prof. Ir. I Gede Wenten, M.Sc., Ph.D., highlighted the relevance of the research to Indonesia’s energy policy aiming for net-zero emissions by 2060. “This research is very on-time in proposing practical pathways to achieve this goal and contribute to Indonesia’s sustainable energy landscape,” he remarked.
The founder of Quantified Carbon and initiator of the Repower initiative, Dr. Staffan Qvist, emphasized the significance of such cooperation in the global energy system. “The collaboration between Quantified Carbon in Repower and ITB focuses on one of the most impactful interventions in the global energy system - the upgrade of existing modern coal-fired power plants to replace polluting fuels with clean alternatives. The resulting practical insights will be critical in forming strategies and policies for renewing coal-fired power plants, giving a real contribution to overcome climate change,” he added.
This partnership between Quantified Carbon and ITB will provide valuable insights that play an important role in shaping Indonesia’s energy landscape and contribute to global efforts to tackle climate change.
Reporter: Anggun Nindita
Translator: Sherina Wijaya (Geological Engineering, 2019)
Editor: Hanifa Juliana (Urban and Regional Planning, 2020)
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