Report on the Environmental and Social Impacts of the Batang Coal-Fired Power Plant and its Conflict with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The recent legal authorization for the Batang coal-fired power plant in Central Java, Indonesia, to utilize approximately 3 billion cubic meters of seawater annually for cooling purposes has significant negative implications for several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Operated by PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia (BPI), the plant’s activities directly undermine progress on SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The project exemplifies a critical conflict between industrial development based on fossil fuels and the principles of environmental sustainability, social equity, and climate responsibility.

Operational Permit and Environmental Concerns

Regulatory Approval for Seawater Utilization

On July 22, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries issued a permit for the utilization of seawater for non-energy purposes (ALSE) to PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia. This permit legitimizes the plant’s use of vast quantities of seawater for its cooling systems. The Ministry framed this as a measure to support transparency and accountable management in sustainable marine industries. However, this decision has been met with significant criticism from environmental experts and civil society organizations.

Conflict with SDG 14: Life Below Water

The plant’s operations pose a direct threat to marine and coastal ecosystems, contradicting the objectives of SDG 14. Key impacts include:

• Thermal Pollution: The discharge of heated water raises local sea temperatures, altering marine environments and harming aquatic life.
• Water Quality Degradation: Studies from similar facilities in Java indicate that coal plant operations lead to an increase in total suspended solids. While chlorine levels used for disinfection were found to be within safe limits, continuous monitoring is required to assess long-term effects on marine fauna.
• Ecosystem Damage: The intake and discharge of water, along with sedimentation from coal dredging, disrupt and damage the surrounding marine ecosystem, which includes coral reefs and mangrove forests that are vital habitats for coastal species.

Socio-Economic Impacts and Contradiction of Development Goals

Undermining SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

The Batang plant, intended to support economic growth, has instead severely damaged the traditional fishing economy, pushing local communities further from the goals of eliminating poverty and ensuring decent work.

1. Erosion of Livelihoods: A 2022 study by Gadjah Mada University confirmed that since the plant began operations, shrimp fishers in Roban Barat have experienced up to a 50% decline in both catch and income.
2. Displacement and Restricted Access: The project has displaced fishing communities and restricted access to traditional fishing zones. Debris and sedimentation from the plant’s operations frequently clog fishing nets, further impeding the livelihoods of the 1,167 traditional fishers recorded in the immediate vicinity.

Violation of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

The development process has exacerbated social inequalities and demonstrated a failure of institutional justice, in direct opposition to SDG 10 and SDG 16.

• Community Division and Coercion: The operator, PT BPI, offered compensation that divided the community. Residents who resisted the project faced intimidation from security forces, leading to arrests and imprisonment, thereby suppressing dissent and violating principles of justice.
• Institutional Failure: Critics, including the People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA), argue that the Ministry’s decision to grant the permit prioritizes non-state tax revenue over the constitutionally protected rights and welfare of traditional fishing communities, highlighting a governance gap.

National Energy Policy and Global Climate Commitments

Conflict with SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)

The Batang power plant is a manifestation of Indonesia’s national energy policy, which remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and undermines commitments to clean energy and climate action.

• Dependence on Coal: The $4 billion plant is a key component of Indonesia’s power expansion plan. The country’s grid-connected thermal power capacity has doubled in the last decade, leading to electricity oversupply and impeding the growth of renewable energy, which is central to SDG 7.
• Failure on Climate Goals: As the world’s top thermal coal exporter and a major carbon emitter, Indonesia’s continued investment in coal contradicts its commitments under the Paris Agreement. Climate Action Tracker has rated the nation’s climate plan as “critically insufficient,” representing a significant setback for SDG 13. Experts advocate for a shift toward an energy justice approach that incentivizes renewable energy development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article highlights that the Batang coal plant has negatively impacted the livelihoods of traditional fishers, leading to a significant decline in their income. This directly relates to the goal of eradicating poverty in all its forms.
2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The plant’s use of seawater for cooling and the subsequent discharge of heated water pollutes coastal waters. The article mentions concerns about rising water temperatures, increased total suspended solids, and the use of chlorine, all of which affect water quality and relate to this goal.
3. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article critiques Indonesia’s “coal-centered energy policy” and its expansion of fossil fuel use despite the need to shift toward renewables. This directly engages with the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The displacement of fishing communities and the destruction of their livelihoods, such as the reported decline in shrimp catches, run counter to the goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article explicitly states that the project undermines Indonesia’s climate goals and its commitment to the Paris Agreement. The country’s continued reliance on coal power, a major source of carbon emissions, is a central theme related to taking urgent action to combat climate change.
6. SDG 14: Life Below Water
   • This is a central SDG in the article. The plant’s operations cause marine pollution through heated discharge, impact coastal ecosystems like coral reefs and mangroves, and lead to a decline in fish stocks, directly threatening marine biodiversity and resources.
7. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article describes how community resistance was met with “intimidation and arrests,” and a local leader was jailed. This points to a failure to ensure public access to information, protect fundamental freedoms, and provide access to justice, which are core components of this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property… The article shows that fishers’ access to their primary economic resource—the sea—has been restricted and degraded.
2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials… The discharge of heated water and potential chlorine byproducts from the plant directly relates to this target.
3. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article highlights Indonesia’s policy of expanding coal power as a setback to this target.
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation… The plant’s operation exemplifies economic activity that is directly causing environmental degradation and harming local economies.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article criticizes Indonesia’s energy planning for prioritizing coal, which contradicts this target.
6. SDG 14: Life Below Water
   • Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution. The plant’s discharge is a land-based activity causing marine pollution.
   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… The article details the “significant impacts on the aquatic environment” and harm to coral reefs and mangroves.
   • Target 14.b: Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets. The article notes that the plant has restricted access to fishing zones for the 1,167 traditional fishers in the area.
7. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The arrests and intimidation of community members who opposed the plant show a failure to provide equal access to justice.
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The community division and opposition suggest that the decision-making process for the plant was not inclusive or representative of local needs.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Decline in Fish Catch and Income
   • The article states that shrimp fishers “have reported a sharp decline in their daily catch and income by up to 50%.” This is a direct quantitative indicator for targets related to poverty (1.4), decent work (8.4), and life below water (14.b).
2. Water Quality Measurements
   • A 2019 study mentioned in the article found that “total suspended solids… were higher than before” and monitored “how warm the water was and how much chlorine… was in it.” These are specific scientific indicators for water pollution under Target 6.3 and marine pollution under Target 14.1.
3. Reliance on Fossil Fuels
   • The article provides the figure that “Indonesia operates 49.7 gigawatts of coal power plants,” which has “doubled over the past 10 years.” This serves as a clear indicator of the country’s movement away from Target 7.2 (increasing renewable energy) and Target 13.2 (integrating climate action).
4. Number of Affected People
   • The article records “1,167 traditional fishers around the Batang power plant area who rely on the sea for their livelihoods.” This number provides a baseline indicator for assessing the social and economic impact on small-scale fishers (Target 14.b).
5. Incidents of Intimidation and Arrests
   • The mention of community members being “arrested” and a local leader being “jailed for eight months” serves as a qualitative indicator of the suppression of fundamental freedoms and lack of access to justice, relevant to Target 16.3.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.mongabay.com