Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Bahlil Lahadalia met with President Prabowo Subianto on Monday to report on Indonesia’s energy supply and outline government measures to ensure reliable electricity services from state-owned utility PT PLN.
The high-level briefing was called following a wave of recent electricity service disruptions and blackouts that affected several regions across the archipelago.
“We discussed the continued stability of government services and PLN’s services to the public, particularly regarding electricity,” Bahlil said at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta.
He noted that following a series of meetings with PLN management, the government successfully mapped out several critical technical vulnerabilities currently hampering power plant operations.
According to the minister, the primary issues involve operational challenges at gas-fired power plants (PLTG) and a domestic shortage in the supply of medium-calorie coal, which is essential for the fuel-blending process at thermal power stations.
Bahlil detailed that while PLN requires roughly 154 million tons of coal per year, the ESDM Ministry has already mandated domestic mining firms to allocate between 180 million and 190 million tons annually to meet the state utility’s annual demand.
“PLN has contracted 134 million tons (for a year). It is only June now, so that (overall volume) should not be an issue,” he explained.
He further clarified that the issue stems not from an overall shortage of coal volume, but rather the specific availability of the medium-calorie grade required to keep power units running safely and efficiently.
To resolve the bottleneck, Bahlil confirmed that the central government has initiated strategic interventions to help PLN source the exact coal specifications needed to protect power plant operations.
Furthermore, the minister issued a stern directive to PLN leadership to accelerate technical maintenance on its transmission and distribution networks to improve overall system grid reliability.
“We ask PLN to immediately carry out maintenance so that we can truly provide service certainty to the public,” Bahlil concluded.
