PLN to Revise Power Supply Plan for Inalum's New Smelter Project

Meeting Growing Electricity Demand

PT PLN (Persero), Indonesia's state-owned electricity company, is set to revise its Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) to accommodate the massive electricity requirements of a new aluminium smelter project by PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) in West Kalimantan. The smelter, expected to become operational by 2029, will require a substantial 932 MW of electricity to operate.

Current Capacity and Planned Expansion

The current electricity system in West Kalimantan has a capacity of 631 MW, which is significantly lower than the demand from the new smelter. PLN's Director of Retail and Commerce, Adi Priyanto, stated that the company will need to build additional power plants and strengthen the transmission infrastructure to meet this growing demand. The RUPTL revision is crucial to incorporate this new demand into PLN's long-term planning.

Coordination and Implementation

Adi mentioned that the details of Inalum's expansion are still under internal review and a feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by early 2026. PLN will closely monitor these developments to ensure that their infrastructure planning aligns with Inalum's project timeline. The revision of the RUPTL will enable PLN to prepare the necessary infrastructure to support the smelter's electricity needs.