Indonesia's state power firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) consumed 1 million metric tons of biomass in 2023 for electric power generation in an effort reduce the consumption of coal, the company said on Wednesday.
PLN used biomass for co-firing at 43 of its coal-fired power plants last year, it said in a statement. The 2023 biomass consumption was 71% higher than a year earlier.
The company aims to implement biomass co-firing at 52 coal power plants in 2025.
PLN did not specify the type of biomass it used last year.
The company claimed the use of biomass has reduced carbon emission by 1.05 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent.
Co-firing is part of Indonesia's efforts to reduce consumption of coal, which powers more than half of the country's electricity needs. Environmentalists, however, have said the increasing usage of biomass could potentially lead to deforestation.
