Indonesia's first thermal power plant stops operating

Indonesia's Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has held a press conference to inform about the country’s progress in the early decommissioning of the Cirebon-1 thermal power plant.

Rachmat Kaimuddin, deputy for infrastructure and transportation coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, said the 660 MW Cirebon-1 plant, located in Kanci, Cirebon, West Java, began construction in May 2008. It is operated by CEP, a multinational corporation.

Earlier, National Power Company and the Indonesia Investment Authority in December 2023 signed an agreement to soon stop the operation of this plant. The agreement was signed to fulfill Indonesia's commitment at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.

Cirebon-1 will end its power supply obligations in December 2035, instead of July 2042 as originally planned. This is an important development in Indonesia's energy transition, helping to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Since its operation, this first unit has produced 5 TWh of electricity per year, which is transmitted via the Java-Madura-Bali connection system. The power produced by the plant has been supplied to West Java and central Jakarta.