Suherdjoko, Cilacap – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was greeted Tuesday by hundreds of protesting residents when he arrived to open a new coal-burning power plant in Cilacap, Central Java.
Some 600 residents of the nearby Griya Kencana Permai housing complex, located about 500 meters west of the power plant, participated in the peaceful protest.
The protesters, mostly women and children, claimed the air pollution coming from the plant in Karang Kandri village was affecting their health.
"The coal dust really disturbs us. We want to be relocated immediately. The power plant should buy our homes and find us a healthier place to live," said Sugriyanto, who coordinated the protest.
The residents, wearing masks, formed a line at the entrance to the plant. However, when the President passed by with his entourage, the residents momentarily forgot about their protest, smiling and waving enthusiastically.
A number of students also demonstrated at the intersection leading to the power plant, demanding officials do something about the pollution allegedly caused by the plant.
"We want the plant's management to assure us that the health of the residents living around the plant will not be affected by pollution," said protest coordinator Fakhir Nawawi. The students were quickly dispersed by the police.
The PLTU Cilacap plant has a capacity of 2x300 megawatts. The coal-powered plant's operation is expected to save around 1.1 billion liters of fuel every year, equal to Rp 5.1 trillion (US$554.3 million) from the state's coffers.
Construction on the facility started in 2003. The first phase was completed in 2005, with the second and final phase being completed this year. The total cost of the project was around Rp 4 trillion.
Yudhoyono said the new plant would save the government money by reducing the size of the fuel subsidy in the state budget. This is the second plant constructed in the province after the Tanjung Jati coal-powered plant in Jepara, which has a capacity of 1,320 megawatts.
"By cutting the fuel subsidy in the state budget, more money can be allocated for education, health and poverty reduction," the President said after the event.
Yudhoyono also officiated at the opening of the Karang Sambung geological nature reserve, located on the border of three regencies – Banjarnegara, Kebumen and Wonosobo. The area has long been used as a research site by geologists.
Later in the day, the President officiated the Central Java Grand Mosque in Semarang, which can hold up to 10,000 people. The mosque, which is located on 10 hectares of land and cost around Rp 200 billion to build, boasts a blend of Javanese, Middle Eastern and Greek architecture.
The complex also contains a museum of Islamic culture, a 99-meter high Al-Husna minaret, a telescope, religious library and a conference room that can accommodate 2,000 people.