Biomass co-firing in Indonesia: Prolonging, not solving coal problem

Despite the promotion of biomass co-firing as a means to create a green economy and mitigate emissions by Indonesia’s state power provider PLN, the practice is a false strategy that will only leave room for prolonged use of coal, deviating from just transition principles and derailing Indonesia’s goals to wean off fossil fuel power generation, according to a new report from CREA.

Raising the share of co-firing at all grid-connected coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) poses a great challenge due to persistent barriers in supply and operations – all while having virtually no impact on air pollutant emissions. The 10% share scenario target is projected to merely deliver a 9% reduction in particulate matter (PM) release, 7% in nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 10% in sulfur dioxide (SO2) at the plants where co-firing is applied. At the national level, biomass co-firing is only expected to reduce around 1.5 to 2.4% of the aggregated coal power emissions.

Furthermore, emission threshold limits set for coal and biomass power generation differ, where biomass power plants are allowed to release higher levels. Applicable thresholds of emission limits from plants operating with coal-biomass blends is not clearly outlined in the current standards, meaning other pollutants linked to the combustion of specific feedstock may be released without any monitoring.

Besides, claims on emission mitigation from biomass co-firing in PLN’s coal power plants are made without comprehensive quantification — which not only includes the avoided coal use, but also life cycle emissions of the biomass supply chain that enables origin tracing, covering harvesting, processing, and transportation. The “true” environmental impacts remain unquantified and undisclosed.

To justify bioenergy as a sustainable initiative, PLN should require independent verification of emissions released throughout the value chain and create a framework that enables proper plant-level assessment for all bioenergy use. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government must recognize the urgency to map the national coal retirement pathway that considers health benefits and wider economic gains by setting stringent air pollution emissions standards that would mandate the installation of effective air pollution control technologies.

Figure 13. Air pollutant emissions change based on the biomass co-firing share

https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/22511675/embed?auto=1

Figure 14. Indonesia’s emission standards for power generation using coal before and after 2019, different types of biomass, and waste

Recommendations:

• Prioritising accountability and transparency through monitoring and evaluation  – A framework that enables proper assessment of plant-level implementation of bioenergy use – co-fired in coal power plants, single-type or blended in bioenergy power plants, would provide data-driven insights to stakeholders, informing the flow of supply, utilisation, and operational costs. The collected data could serve as a basis to develop a roadmap for bioenergy, which could help provide clarity for suppliers, allowing the market to naturally develop to fill unmet demands.
• Implementing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for a comprehensive quantification of emission mitigation – Claims on emission mitigation from biomass co-firing in PLN’s coal power plants currently only account for reduction in fossil fuel emissions. The environmental impact of the biomass supply chain tied to specific feedstocks remains unquantified and undisclosed. To justify the use of bioenergy as a sustainable initiative, PLN should require independent verification of emissions released throughout the value chain — enabling origin tracing and covering harvesting, processing, and transportation.
• Raising the urgency to prioritise phase out of coal power generation and accelerate deployment of renewable energy for a genuinely sustainable and just energy future — Biomass co-firing is a false climate strategy that enables prolonged coal use throughout the transition decades, while raising risks of deforestation, as well as negatively impacting the livelihood of local communities and indigenous peoples. Furthermore, there is virtually nothing to gain for climate and clean air from co-firing coal and biomass. Quantifiable monetary losses from reduced efficiency and technical operational challenges associated with low-quality biomass should instead be used for renewables deployment, especially considering Indonesia’s vast, widely diverse, and abundant potentials.

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