Major Indonesia coal plant back near capacity despite pollution concerns

Smoke and steam billows from the coal-fired power plant owned by Indonesia Power, next to an area for Java 9 and 10 Coal-Fired Steam Power Plant Project in Suralaya, Banten province, Indonesia, on Jul 11, 2020. - Reuters file photo

JAKARTA (AFP): Indonesia has restored one of the biggest coal-fired power plants in South-East Asia to near full capacity, its operator told AFP Friday, after it was ordered to slice output to curb pollution in capital Jakarta.

The Suralaya coal-fired power plant in Java island's Banten province nearly halved production starting August 29 as the country geared up to host Southeast Asian leaders, as well as US, Chinese and Japanese officials at a regional bloc's summit.