Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company, PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), has approved the start of commercial operations for the 15 megawatt Pontianak Biomass Power Plant II in West Kalimantan, reports Bioenergy Insight.
The development, reported on January 2, 2026, confirms that the facility is now ready to supply power commercially. The project marks another step in Indonesia’s push to increase the use of renewable energy and cut dependence on coal-based power generation.
The biomass plant is part of PLN’s wider plan to bring more biomass-based power into the country’s energy mix as it looks to diversify sources of electricity.
At the same time, recent studies have pointed to challenges linked to biomass projects, including gaps in supply chain transparency, questions over total emissions across the fuel’s life cycle, and concerns that using biomass alongside coal could delay the long-term move away from coal-fired power.
Despite these concerns, PLN’s fuel supply arm, PLN Energi Primer Indonesia (PLN EPI), is reviewing proposals for new biomass production facilities. The company is also examining other power options, including nuclear energy, under its latest long-term electricity development plan.
