PT Qing Kota Metal, one of the companies operating in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) area, has demonstrated its serious commitment to sustainable industrial practices. This concrete step is realized through the operation of a 380 MW Coal-Fired Power Plant (PLTU) that now adopts supercritical boiler technology.
Environmental Department Manager of PT IMIP, Yundi Sobur, explained that this technology represents a leap forward from conventional systems. By operating steam pressure and temperature above the critical point of water, this system can efficiently optimize combustion heat. This process minimizes energy loss that typically occurs during the boiling and steam separation phases in standard systems.
The application of this technology has proven capable of boosting the plant's thermal efficiency to between 38% and 45%, far surpassing conventional subcritical power plants, which generally range between 33% and 39%. This high efficiency not only leads to savings in coal consumption, but also makes power plant operations more economical and environmentally friendly.
As a form of commitment to environmental preservation, the power plant has also been equipped with advanced pollution mitigation systems, such as flue gas desulfurization (FGD), electrostatic precipitators (ESP), and bag house filters. As a result, all emission parameters, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, are recorded below the threshold established in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 15/2019.
In addition to reducing air emissions, this technology also successfully reduces the amount of fly ash and bottom ash (FABA) waste through a more complete combustion process. Yundi hopes this innovation can serve as a benchmark for other industries in Indonesia in efforts to transition toward a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable power generation sector.
