PLN Secures Coal Supply, Ending Java Rolling Blackouts

Indonesia's state-owned electricity company, PT PLN, has assured the public that sufficient medium-calorific coal supplies are secured through December 2026, aiming to end rolling blackouts in Java. PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo stated that the additional coal volume directly bolsters grid reliability, making the system far more dependable.

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This certainly makes the system in Java, which we previously acknowledged experienced rolling blackouts, far more reliable now.

For July, an extra 1.8 million tons of coal with a calorific value of 4,500 and above will be supplied. From August to December, an additional 3 million tons are expected from existing sources. Prasodjo acknowledged that Java's power grid had experienced rolling blackouts due to a limited supply of this specific coal grade.

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For this July, there is an additional supply of 1.8 million tons of coal with a calorific value of 4,500 and above. Following that, from August through December, an additional supply of around 3 million tons will be secured from existing sources.

The shortage stemmed from shifting national coal production trends, which have increasingly favored low-calorific coal while medium- and high-calorific grades saw reduced output. This posed a problem as several power plants in the Java system are designed to operate on medium-calorific coal. PLN requested an additional allocation from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, which was fulfilled through an assignment scheme.

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The ministry then fulfilled the request through an assignment scheme.