Jakarta (VNA) - The State Electricity Company of Indonesia (PLN) will use rice husk as a fuel mixture in thermal power plants to reduce carbon emissions from coal burning activities, reported Antara news agency.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said that the company is collaborating with PT Sang Hyang Seri (SHS) to use rice husk for the co-firing programme at the power plants.

In a statement, Darmawan said the cooperation between the two is a joint step to reduce carbon emissions. 

On the one hand, it also increases the efficiency of the two State owned enterprises (SOEs) in managing waste into valuable materials, he continued.

Rice husk is one of the raw materials that can be processed into biomass. By 2025, the PLN needs approximately 10.2 million tonnes of biomass to substitute for 10 percent of coal demand in power plants.

SHS President Director Maryono explained that the partnership was in line with the company’s business transformation. Moreover, with a total yield of 55 million tonnes per year, Indonesia can use 11 million tonnes of husks.

The husks will be processed into pellets that the PLN can use for the co-firing programme, he said.

Currently, the two companies have tested the use of pellets from husks at two power plants. The pellets have a high calorific value of 3,700 kcal per kg, so they can replace coal.

The project is carried out not only in Java, for it can be launched at PLN power plants in South Sulawesi region, which is among Indonesia's rice granaries, Muryono said./.
VNA