Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's biggest coal-based thermal power plant of the PLTU Jawa 7 Unit 1 with a total capacity of 2 X 1,000 megawatt (mw) of two stations is now officially operational. This PLTU Jawa 7 Unit 1 located in Terate Village, Serang, Banten Province, is the first coal-based thermal power plant that uses the boiler technology of Ultra Super Critical (USC), the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources spokesperson, Agung Pribadi, confirmed in Jakarta on Monday.

"The USC technology is projected to increase generator efficiency by 15 percent rather than non-USC while lowering the cost of fuel per kilo watt-hour. This simultaneously reduces greenhouse emissions," Pribadi noted.

Besides, this power plant is claimed to be more eco-friendly since it has Sea Water Fuel Gas Desulfurization (SWFGD), a system of coal distribution through a four-kilometer-long coal handling plant from the barge to make sure there is no scattered coal over the coal yard.

PLTU Jawa 7 Unit 1 has been fueled by low-rank coal which heats 4,000 to 4,600 kCal/kg, with a year’s operation needing seven tons of coal supply for its two stations for a year

Its operations will back an interconnected system in Java and Bali areas through the electric network of Suralaya-Balaraja 500 Kilo Volt.

"The power plant could support the main load of Java and Bali areas which keeps increasing every year. For example, it was 28,000 mw this year while last year it was 27,000 mw," Pribadi added.

The government is likely to urge more power plants to be operational to accelerate a 35,000 mw program.

"We are targeting two more units with the same capacity as PLTU Jawa 7 Unit 1 to be operated in 2020, to boost the economic activities," Pribadi said.