Despite Billions to Get off Coal, Why Is Indonesia Still Building New Coal Plants?
Not far from the white sand beaches on the island of Borneo, the Indonesian government is building what it calls a “green industrial park.” In the ground-breaking ceremony, Indonesia’s president said this area of more than 40,000 acres would become a hub for green manufacturing using the country’s vast mineral reserves.
Indonesian officials are pursuing deals with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL as well as Elon Musk and Tesla to make EV batteries there. The idea is that this “green” park will eventually run on solar power and hydropower from a nearby river.
But building the hydropower infrastructure could take several years. In the meantime, Indonesia plans to build new coal-fired plants to power its “green” park, says Rachmat Kaimuddin, Deputy Minister of Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment.
Photo courtesy of CIFOR.
Source: NPR (link opens in a new window)
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