LNG Regasification Facility Development to Prioritise Environmental Aspects

PT PLN Energi Primer Indonesia (PLN EPI) has involved the community from the early stages of planning for the construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Storage and Regasification Facility in Tanjung Karang Permai Urban Village, Sekarbela District, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. Through a public consultation for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) document, the company has ensured that the energy infrastructure development plan takes social, economic, and environmental aspects into consideration.

The public consultation, held at the Tanjung Karang Permai Urban Village Office Hall, involved the Mataram City Government, the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government, technical agencies, security forces, community leaders, fishing representatives, MSME actors, and 65 residents living around the planned development site.

Assistant I of the Mataram City Government, Lalu Martawang, said that community involvement is an important part of ensuring the LNG regasification facility development proceeds openly and provides benefits to the community.

“Through this public consultation, the community is given space to convey their hopes and concerns so that all social and environmental aspects can be taken into account in the preparation of the AMDAL document,” said Lalu Martawang.

Head of Tanjung Karang Permai Urban Village, Nani Nurkomala, added that the public consultation serves as a dialogue space between the government, PLN EPI as the project proponent, and the community. Various suggestions and aspirations conveyed by residents will be officially recorded as part of the Amdal document preparation process.

This commitment has also drawn attention from the regional government. Young Expert for Environmental Impact Control at the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Environment and Forestry Service, Suraya Fitriyati Watimena, stressed that strategic development must consider environmental carrying capacity and social impacts comprehensively.

Meanwhile, Head of Environmental Management at the Mataram City Environment Service, Salikin, appreciated PLN EPI’s step of involving the community from the early planning stage. A representative of the NTB Provincial Energy and Mineral Resources Service, Ivy Reivillia, also expressed support for the development plan as part of strengthening cleaner and more reliable energy infrastructure in the Nusa Tenggara region.

Corporate Secretary of PLN EPI, Mamit Setiawan, explained that the plan to build the LNG storage and regasification facility is part of the company’s strategy to reduce power plants’ dependence on fuel oil (BBM). The use of LNG as a cleaner, more efficient, and more economical energy source is expected to strengthen the reliability of energy supply while supporting the national energy transition.

“The construction of the LNG regasification facility is part of PLN EPI’s commitment to delivering cleaner, more reliable, and sustainable energy supply. Through this infrastructure, we want to ensure that the community’s energy needs can be met more efficiently, while supporting efforts to reduce emissions in the electricity sector,” said Mamit.

According to Mamit, the success of the project depends not only on technical and infrastructure readiness, but also on the trust and support of the community and stakeholders around the site.

“Therefore, we prioritise open and participatory communication from the planning stage. All community input will be an important part of refining the Amdal document and project implementation, so that this development can provide sustainable benefits for the community, the environment, and national energy security,” concluded Mamit.

During the discussion session, the community conveyed a number of inputs related to the protection of fishermen’s livelihoods, the sustainability of residents’ businesses, prioritising local labour, management of coastal areas and drainage, and environmental preservation. All of these aspirations were accepted as material for refining the AMDAL document as well as considerations in designing project implementation.

In general, the community expressed support for the plan to build the LNG storage and regasification facility. However, this support was accompanied by the hope that project implementation would continue to pay attention to the social and economic interests of residents, protect the environment, and maintain open communication between the company, government, and community.

Through this public consultation, PLN EPI affirmed that energy infrastructure development is not only directed at strengthening the reliability of electricity supply and supporting the energy transition, but is also carried out by prioritising the principles of Good Environmental Governance, community involvement, and the application of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).