IEA, ERIA call for application of clean coal technology

By Tri Subhki R

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) called for the application of clean coal technology in the Southeast Asia.

"There should be stick and carrot approach to encourage the application in the region. First, the technology suppliers should make the technology less expensive and second, the government also should enforce the use of clean coal technology," Keith Burnard, IEA's Head of Energy Supply and Energy Technology Policy Division, said on Wednesday during a workshop in Jakarta.

The too-costly investment of clean coal technology for power generation, particularly for low-rank coal, becomes the major consideration for coal producers and investors to use clean coal technologies.

Shigeru Kimura, ERIA's Special Advisor to Executive Director on Energy Affairs, believes that the cost of clean coal technology will be more affordable.

"There are some countries that have already developed clean coal technology, namely Japan, South Korea, China and some European countries," he said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak