Sumatra is a coal producing region which has been operating since Dutch times. The Netherlands had mine coal in West Sumatra, South Sumatra and Jambi. Currently, the largest coal mining company in Sumatra is PT Bukit Asam a state-owned company, operating in South Sumatra, West Sumatra and Riau. South Sumatra is currently the heart of coal production on the island of Sumatra. Supervision coordination from KPK declared only 175 permits that is clean and clear (CnC) from 359 coal mining permit. The provincial government has revoked several licenses but the company that own the coal mining permit sued to the state court and their lawsuit was won in June 2017. Currently WALHI is providing assistance to mining-affected communities and the planned construction of a mine-mouth coal power plant.
The results of research conducted by Walhi reveal that almost all people in the village refused the construction of electric steam power plant. Currently the power supply in southern Sumatra has been oversupplied and PLN shut down their 4x60MW coal plant to save expenses, therefore the construction of mine-mouth electric steam power plant is a waste. West Sumatra is one of the oldest coal mine sites in Indonesia which operated since the Dutch colonial era until today. The oldest mining location is in Sawahlunto. These few years there has been a deadly mine accident in Sawahlunto but no action has been taken against the deadly mines. Electric steam power plant in Sawahlunto also cause pollution by removing FABA (fly ash bottom ash) carelessly, now they do not have a place that have FABA licensed.
Walhi West Sumatra Region is also currently doing an advocacy to save forests in the coal mining area permit. Several coal mining permit are in the forest areas, until now none of the non-CnC mining permit in West Sumatra province have been revoked. The province with another coal mining license is Bengkulu. Coal production in Bengkulu is exported or sent to other provinces. There are currently several revocations of mining permit in Bengkulu province as well as non-CnC mining permit issuing its CnC decree. Cases of pollution due to coal mining in Bengkulu have been done several times but there are no harder and concrete action until now.
One of the companies that often do pollution is PT Injatama, the company is like immune from law until now, even in August 2017 they threw coal in an open beach but no action from the relevant agencies. Another current issue in Bengkulu is the construction of Teluk Sepang Coal Power Plant, this coal-fired power plant is built by a Chinese company with all the materials coming from the country. Coal power plant is not needed by the province of Bengkulu because the current electricity needs has been met from existing energy sources and many potential renewable energy that has not been utilized.
