Indonesia's 6.3 GW coal plan risks 5,000 deaths by 2030
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- Indonesia's government electricity plan includes 6.3 gigawatts of additional coal-fired power generation through 2034, as meteorologists warn a super El Niño could bring hotter temperatures, longer dry seasons, and worsening air quality.
- A joint study by the Center of Economic and Law Studies and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air projected Indonesia's coal-powered nickel industry will contribute to more than 3,800 premature deaths annually, rising to nearly 5,000 by 2030.
- The same study estimated the economic burden of coal-powered nickel industry air pollution will rise from approximately US$2.63 billion annually to $3.42 billion by the end of the decade.
- Captive coal capacity serving industrial parks tied to Indonesia's nickel downstream ambitions has expanded rapidly, with many plants receiving operational lifelines that could extend their use for another decade or more.
- In August 2023, Jakarta briefly ranked among the world's most polluted cities, yet the article reports government officials largely downplayed nearby coal plants' role and defended coal generation as indispensable.
- Sulawesi possesses significant hydropower potential that the article identifies as a cleaner alternative to captive coal for powering industrial nickel processing.
Why it matters: Indonesia's policy contradiction — adding 6.3 GW of coal through 2034 while nickel-industry coal pollution already kills 3,800+ yearly — means a super El Niño would compound a projected $3.42 billion annual health cost onto a vulnerable rupiah, higher interest rates, and rising living costs, with the article arguing defending aging coal now costs more than replacing it.
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