World’s first CNG vessel delivers major cost savings for PLN
Wednesday, October 15 2025 - 05:58 PM WIB
By Bernard Loebs
State electricity company PT PLN (Persero) has achieved significant cost savings and energy efficiency in power generation through the operation of the world’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) vessel, JAYANTI BARUNA. The vessel transports gas from the CNG Plant in Gresik, East Java, to the CNG Plant in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, where it is decompressed and supplied to the 130–150 MW Lombok Peaker Gas-Fired Power Plant (PLTMGU).
According to PLN, the use of the CNG vessel has generated savings of Rp 20.2 billion per month, or around Rp 242.4 billion per year, compared with the use of mini-LNG or diesel fuel.
“This marks a new chapter for PLN in implementing a more economical and reliable gas transportation system for small-scale power plants across islands,” said Suroso Iskandar, Director of New and Renewable Energy at PLN, in a statement broadcast on PLN UPDL Bogor’s YouTube channel on Wednesday (Oct. 15).
Read also: Successful gas-in for world’s 1st CNG carrier reported
“In terms of cost, diesel fuel has a threshold of about US$24 per MMBtu, mini-LNG ranges from US$18–20 per MMBtu, while CNG carriers cost only around US$14–15 per MMBtu. Therefore, gas distribution using CNG vessels will serve as a role model for other gas-fired power plants in Indonesia,” he added.
Petromindo previously reported that the first gas-in to the Lombok Peaker PLTMGU took place in September 2024. Since then, JAYANTI BARUNA has completed 25 trips, delivering a total of 424,246.96 MMBtu of gas — equivalent to a saving of 7,514 kiloliters of diesel fuel.
The CNG Project in Gresik and Lombok, along with the vessel, was developed by a consortium comprising Shijiazhuang Enric Gas Equipment, PT Enviromate Technology International, and the Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute of CMIC. The total contract value was US$136.7 million and Rp 244.7 billion.
The Gresik CNG Plant has a capacity of 28.62 MMSCF, the Lombok CNG Plant 22.62 MMSCF, and the JAYANTI BARUNA CNG vessel 23.38 MMSCF.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak