Greenpeace criticizes a planned coal power plant in C. Java
Thursday, July 5 2012 - 01:30 AM WIB
Greenpeace has urged the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to not convert the Ujungnegoro-Roban Regional Marine Conservation Area in Batang, Central Java, into a planned giant coal power plant project, saying its pollution would disturb lives of thousands of fishermen in the area.
The planned coal power plant at the Regional Marine Conservation Area of Ujungnegoro?Roban would have capacity of 2x1000 MW.
?Government?s plan to build the largest coal power plant in Southeast Asia shows their reluctance to stop our country?s highly dependence on fossil fuels. The plan is also in contrary to the President's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent in Indonesia by 2020,? Arif Fiyanto, Climate and Energy Campaign Team Leader of Greenpeace Indonesia, said in the statement made available to Petromindo.com.
Greenpeace activists conducted a theatrical action with a giant replica of sinking boat along with the fishermen and farmers who would suffer livelihood destruction caused by the coal power plant to be built in their fishing grounds and prodcutive agricultural lands.
?Conversion of Regional Marine Conservation Areas into coal power plant construction clearly breaches the laws, and threatens the lives of thousands Batang people who depend their livelihood from the fish-rich region," he said.
"In addition, releasing the permits of coal power plant construction in this area is clearly contrary to the principles of 'Blue Economy' which is promoted by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, because the presence of coal power plant in this area will clearly undermine food security and local economies.?
Regional Marine Conservation Areas of Ujungnegoro-Roban, Batang, has been designated as a Natural Ocean Park Area based on Government Regulation No.26/2008 within National Spatial Planning Annex VIII Number 313, and Central Java Provincial Regulation No.6 year 2010 on the Central Java Provincial Spatial Plan No.6/2010 within Central Java Provincial Spatial Plan of 2009-2029.
Editing by Adianto P. Simamora