Tak terlihat, tak terkendali: Pembangkit batubara captive sebesar 31 GW mempertaruhkan target ekonomi dan pengurangan emisi Indonesia

Indonesia is experiencing a surge in 'captive' coal-fired power plants—industrial plants not connected to the national grid—which are growing significantly faster than on-grid capacity. Driven largely by nickel smelting in Sulawesi and North Maluku, total operational and prospective captive capacity is projected to reach 31 GW, nearly tripling 2023 levels. The report highlights critical transparency gaps in government and JETP data, regulatory loopholes for National Strategic Projects (PSN), and severe long-term economic and health costs, including an estimated 27,000 additional deaths and USD 20 billion in cumulative economic burdens if these plants are not phased out.

• Captive coal-fired power plant capacity is expanding rapidly, far outpacing the national grid. Between July 2024 and July 2025, captive plants accounted for over 80% of all new coal capacity additions, adding 4.49 GW. Total operational and prospective capacity is expected to reach 31 GW, which is three times the total captive capacity in 2023 and exceeds Australia's current total coal capacity of 22.8 GW.
• The nickel industry is the primary driver of this expansion, particularly in Central Sulawesi and North Maluku. In Central Sulawesi, captive capacity grew 2.5 times between July 2023 and July 2025 (from 2.96 GW to 7.33 GW), while North Maluku grew 3.4 times (from 1.87 GW to 6.37 GW). The nickel sector's operational capacity reached 15.4 GW by July 2025.
• There are significant data inconsistencies and transparency gaps regarding captive power. Global Energy Monitor identified 7.95 GW from nine announced plants and 160 MW in pre-permitting, whereas the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) study provided inconsistent baselines, tabulating 4.45 GW of planned capacity but mentioning only 3.1 GW in its text.
• Regulatory loopholes, specifically exemptions for National Strategic Projects (PSN) in Presidential Regulation 112/2022 (PERPRES 112/2022), allow the continued expansion of coal plants despite a general moratorium. Proposed revisions to this regulation may further broaden exemptions based on system reliability and national strategic interests.
• The long-term economic and health costs of captive coal outweigh short-term industrial gains. Analysis indicates that while nickel center profits peak in year five, environmental costs erode these gains by year eight. Excluding captive plants from national phase-out targets is projected to cause 27,000 additional air pollution-related deaths and a cumulative economic burden of USD 20 billion.
• The aluminium industry is emerging as a second major driver of captive coal. Projects include the AlamTri Aluminum Smelter in North Kalimantan (1.1 GW captive plant for Phase I) and the Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery in Mempawah, for which INALUM opened a tender for a 1.2 GW captive plant in December 2025.

APA

Hasan, K., & Hummer, L. (2026). Tak terlihat, tak terkendali: Pembangkit batubara captive sebesar 31 GW mempertaruhkan target ekonomi dan pengurangan emisi Indonesia. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/ID-CREA_GEM_Indonesia-captive-coal-in-2025_3.pdf

Chicago

Hasan, Katherine, and Lucy Hummer. Tak terlihat, tak terkendali: Pembangkit batubara captive sebesar 31 GW mempertaruhkan target ekonomi dan pengurangan emisi Indonesia. Global Energy Monitor, 2026. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/ID-CREA_GEM_Indonesia-captive-coal-in-2025_3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hasan |first1=Katherine |last2=Hummer |first2=Lucy |title=Tak terlihat, tak terkendali: Pembangkit batubara captive sebesar 31 GW mempertaruhkan target ekonomi dan pengurangan emisi Indonesia |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=27 January 2026 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/ID-CREA_GEM_Indonesia-captive-coal-in-2025_3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hasan2026tak, author = {Hasan, Katherine and Hummer, Lucy}, title = {{Tak terlihat, tak terkendali: Pembangkit batubara captive sebesar 31 GW mempertaruhkan target ekonomi dan pengurangan emisi Indonesia}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/ID-CREA_GEM_Indonesia-captive-coal-in-2025_3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }