The use of biomass through a co-firing program applied to steam-powered electricity plants or PLTUs has become a new pillar in building a people-based economy in West Nusa Tenggara.
Jeranjang PLTU Power Plant Business Unit Manager Yunisetya Ariwibawa said many people are involved in the biomass production process until it ends up in the PLTU combustion furnace.
"The biomass needs of the Jeranjang PLTU are mostly still from the surrounding community. The social impact is quite good because it provides job opportunities," said Ariwibawa when met in the Jeranjang PLTU area located in West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara.
The community actively participates in the biomass economic system , from farmers, wood mills, truck drivers, shredder operators, to sorting workers. They work together to make sawdust and woodchips to be mixed with coal.
The Jeranjang PLTU is one of the backbones in supplying electricity on Lombok Island with an installed capacity of 3 x 25 megawatts.
As of May 13, 2025, the Jeranjang PLTU has consumed 14,621 tons of biomass, producing 11,021 megawatt-hours of green electricity. The target for biomass usage throughout this year is 35,200 tons, with a target for green electricity production of 28,847 megawatt-hours.
Director of PT Syahroni Rezeki Mandiri, Syamsul Hadi (33 years old), stated that the biomass-producing factory that he manages is able to employ as many as 300 people, dominated by residents around the factory. Those who work to make biomass come from various backgrounds, such as casual laborers, housewives, to former Indonesian migrant workers.
