Bali, Indonesia- \u00a0Local people in Buleleng District, Bali, are contesting plans to expand the Celukan Bawang coal-fired power plant on the island\u2019s north coast.<\/p>\n
Emissions from the\u00a0power plant already pollute\u00a0the area and cause health problems for local people.\u00a0\u00a0Greenpeace Indonesia has reported villagers\u2019 testimonies on an increase in respiratory problems in their families, and the loss of their livelihoods because of falling catches and reduced crop yields.\u00a0\u00a0The new proposal to expand the plant would add two 330 MW coal-fired units, more than doubling the size of the plant and the pollution it generates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese expansion plans must not be allowed to go ahead,\u201d saidDewa Putu Adnyana, from Indonesia Legal Aid, or LBH, Bali.\u201cWe are now running a lawsuit to stop the project, there has been no public consultation about the expansion plans, which are being pushed through without many of the environmental impact assessments that the law demands\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBali is a precious jewel for Indonesia, which should be cherished and protected, not destroyed with pollution.\u00a0\u00a0So many livelihoods will be lost when emissions from this coal plant spread over the area. Expanding the Celukan Bawang plant is a betrayal of the Balinese people by the governor of Bali that has given his approval for this project\u201d, said Didit Haryo, climate and energy campaigner Greenpeace Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It is not only local farming and fishing communities which will suffer if this expansion goes ahead.\u00a0The Celukan Bawang plant is only 20 km from Lovina Beach, a popular tourist area famed for its black sand beaches, coral reefs and dolphins.\u00a0\u00a0The dolphins in particular will be impacted by increased ship traffic and noise from ship engines.\u00a0\u00a0Increased pollution could drive tourists away, affecting the livelihoods of all who work in the sector.<\/p>\n
The coal plant also poses a risk to the West Bali National Park, the home of endangered and protected species including the Javanese leopard, the pangolin and the Bali starling which are all critically endangered.\u00a0\u00a0It is inevitable that emissions from the plant will pollute this beautiful area.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoal is not the power source of the future,\u201d said Didit Haryo.<\/p>\n
The existing coal plant was developed by a group of companies, including China Huadian Engineering Co, Ltd (CHEC), Merryline International Pte. Ltd (MIP) and PT General Energy Indonesia (GEI), with approximate total investment reaching 700 million USD, supported by China Development Bank. Domestically, China has suffered terrible air pollution from its reliance on coal. As China undergoes an energy transition away from coal at home and shows the world what renewable energy can deliver, Chinese companies and banks should also aim to accelerate the energy transition overseas by investing more in renewables and less in coal.<\/p>\n
Last year alone China installed enough solar capacity to generate more than a quarter of Indonesia\u2019s annual power demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis needs to be our future too. Bali will only survive and thrive as a tourist destination if it has clean, sustainable energy, not the polluting emissions of a coal plant like Celukan Bawang\u201d, said Didit Haryo.<\/p>\n
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