Indonesia’s captive coal: ‘Who is this really for?’
As captive coal plants support Indonesia’s growing nickel industry, communities in North Maluku and Central Sulawesi shoulder the burden The post Indonesia’s captive coal: ‘Who is this really for?’ appeared first on Dialogue Earth .
Nurjana lives in Labota village and observes the Sulawesi Labota power station's chimneys daily, releasing white smoke. The power station, part of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, generates 3.36 gigawatts of electricity for local nickel smelting and processing operations. Nurjana described the loud noises, vibrations, and ashes from coal emanating from the facility, remarking, "There are coal power plants at the front and a coal barge at the back.
We're surrounded by coal." In North Maluku's Kawasi village, nickel mining and extraction company Harita Nickel has upended local lives. Some residents have moved to a new settlement, while others choose to stay. Harita Nickel claims the new settlement has electricity, clean water, and other facilities, but locals express concerns about relocating, especially regarding their ancestral land.
Despite Harita Nickel's support, Kawasi villagers remain critical of the move, with some refusing to exchange their ancestral land for money. The area's booming nickel industry, a crucial mineral for electric vehicles and stainless steel manufacturing, drives the expansion of captive coal power plants, compromising Indonesia's emission reduction goals.
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