DBS past coal projects
From Market Forces’ review of loans provided by DBS on IJGlobal, a internationally-recognised financial journal, from January 2012 to December 2017, DBS provided US$885 million to 12 coal infrastructure projects, including power, mining and ports.
| Target | Debt (US$ million) | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Newcastle Acquisition | $160 | Australia | 2014 |
| Central Java Coal-Fired Power Plant (2000MW) PPP | $140 | Indonesia | 2016 |
| Port of Newcastle Refinancing | $123 | Australia | 2015 |
| Paiton Energy Refinancing | $81 | Indonesia | 2017 |
| Worsley Co-Generation Plant Refinancing | $77 | Australia | 2014 |
| KalSel Coal Plant (200MW) IPP | $67 | Indonesia | 2017 |
| Harum Energy Refinancing | $54 | Indonesia | 2012 |
| Centennial Coal Corporate Refinancing | $319 | Australia | 2014 |
| Central Java IPP Bridge Facility (2000MW) | $45 | Indonesia | 2012 |
| Limay Coal-Fired Power Plant Phase 1 (300MW) | $44 | Philippines | 2015 |
| Millmerran Coal-Fired Power Plant Refinancing | $31 | Australia | 2015 |
| Gujarat NRE Coking Coal Mine Capex facility | $18 | India | 2013 |
| Total | $885 |
Paiton power complex
Paiton complex (2015)
One of the more recent loans was provided to Paiton Energy, to refinance a loan provided on construction of Paiton 3. The loan totalled US$750 million. DBS also acted as a joint bookrunner in assisting to refinance the power station, facilitating the issue of bonds worth US$2 billion.
The Paiton coal fired power complex has been reported to have produced 153 million tonnes, or over 80%, of the annual total of Hazardous and Toxic B3 waste of any facility in East Java, Indonesia. According to the Indonesian government, B3 waste is “any waste containing dangerous and/or toxic material, which due to its characteristics and/or concentration and/or amount, either directly or indirectly, may damage and/or pollute the living environment and/or endanger human health.” Although much of this waste is reported to be used to manufacture cement, the rest is stockpiled.
Central java project
The 1,900 MW Central Java Power Project has also been contentious. According to Greenpeace Indonesia, the coal project is being built “on 226 hectares of productive agricultural land, and within the Ujungnegoro-Roban Marine Conservation Area which is rich in fish and coral reefs that support livelihoods for fishermen from various regions on the north coast of Java.”
Local communities protested the coal-fired power station for over five years, seeking to prevent the impact on the fisheries and agricultural land. They brought legal actions, complained to administrative tribunals and even went to Japan to protest. The video above shows local community members blockading the construction site in March 2017 to save their livelihoods. The power station reached financial close in 2016.
Direct Action at Batang Coal Power Plant Project in Indonesia – News Access (English with Subs) (2017) © Greenpeace
This page was last updated 23 April 2018.
