Eyewitness – BALI
9 June 2026
In commemoration of World Ocean Day and World Coral Triangle Day, the Don’t Gas Indonesia (DGI) Network has urged the Indonesian government, the Bali Provincial Government, and state-owned utility company PLN to immediately halt plans for liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure expansion and gas-fired power plants (PLTGU) in Bali.
Bali forms an integral part of the Coral Triangle, the planet’s most biodiverse marine region and home to globally significant coral reef ecosystems. Spanning Menjangan and Pemuteran in North Bali to Tulamben, Amed, Padang Bai, Nusa Penida, and Nusa Lembongan, these waters sustain marine life, coastal livelihoods, cultural traditions, and a tourism-driven economy dependent on healthy oceans.
However, these ecosystems face mounting pressures from climate change, pollution, destructive fishing practices, and overtourism. The proposed construction of LNG infrastructure—including the FSRU Sidakarya floating LNG terminal, gas pipelines, LNG shipping routes, and new gas-fired power plants in South and North Bali—presents a severe new threat to Bali’s coastal and marine environment.
The expansion of LNG would increase tanker traffic through sensitive marine areas, endanger coral reef ecosystems, and threaten critical habitats for manta rays, mola-mola, dolphins, and other iconic marine species. Furthermore, it places additional strain on Bali’s mangrove forests and coastal communities.
LNG Expansion Serves Mass Tourism, Not Local Communities
The Balinese government has justified the LNG expansion by claiming it is necessary to secure “energy independence” and foster a cleaner tourism industry. Yet, Bali already records an electricity surplus within the Java-Bali grid, raising serious questions over the necessity of developing new LNG infrastructure.
DGI contends that the primary driver behind this LNG expansion is the continuous growth of mass tourism and large-scale investment projects, rather than the actual energy needs of local communities.
The narrative positioning LNG as a “clean transition fuel” is fundamentally misleading. LNG remains a fossil fuel that accelerates climate change through methane leakage, greenhouse gas emissions, and ecosystem destruction, while locking the region into a long-term dependence on fossil energy systems.
A False Solution to the Climate Crisis
LNG projects are increasingly being promoted under the banner of energy transition and decarbonization. In reality, they risk locking Bali into decades of fossil fuel dependence while diverting critical resources away from genuinely clean and affordable renewable energy solutions.
As global energy markets move rapidly toward renewables, new LNG infrastructure carries growing risks of becoming stranded assets, leaving future generations with environmental damage and economic burdens.
Building a People’s Movement to Protect Bali
Don’t Gas Indonesia calls on local communities, fisherfolk, tourism workers, environmental organizations, artists, youth groups, divers, and indigenous communities across Bali to unite in defending the island’s coasts, coral reefs, and cultural heritage. Decisions regarding Bali’s future must prioritize ecological sustainability, community well-being, and climate justice—not the profits of fossil fuel corporations.
Statement from Roberto Hutabarat, Convener of Don’t Gas Indonesia
”World Ocean Day and Coral Triangle Day remind us that Bali’s greatest wealth is not LNG infrastructure, but its oceans, coral reefs, and the communities that protect them. Expanding LNG in Bali is a dangerous, false solution that sacrifices marine biodiversity and local livelihoods for the interests of fossil fuel corporations. We must not allow the language of ‘energy transition’ to be used to justify new fossil fuel projects that threaten one of the world’s most vital marine ecosystems.”
In Cilamaya, Karawang, West Java, the operations of the Jawa 1 Gas Power Plant and its supporting LNG infrastructure—including the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU)—have fundamentally altered a marine ecosystem that generations of fishers knew as one of Karawang’s most productive fishing grounds. Large-scale seabed dredging for shipping channels and gas pipelines has accelerated sedimentation, damaged local coral habitats, and contributed to the disappearance of vital fish and shrimp breeding grounds.
The promise of a “clean energy transition” has failed to align with the reality experienced by local communities. Fisherfolk have lost access to traditional fishing grounds due to pipelines, anchoring systems, and increased industrial vessel traffic. Fishing nets are frequently damaged, catches have declined dramatically, and many fishers are forced to travel farther offshore at greater cost and risk, pushing families deeper into debt.
On land, communities face exposure to water and air pollution, industrial noise, and environmental degradation linked to the project.
”The experience of Cilamaya demonstrates that LNG projects often transfer environmental and social costs onto local communities while the benefits flow elsewhere. It serves as a warning for other coastal regions, including Bali, that are now facing similar LNG expansion plans,” Hutabarat added.
DGI Calls On Government and Decision-Makers To:
• Immediately halt the development of the FSRU LNG terminal and new gas-fired power plants in Bali;
• Protect coral reef ecosystems, mangrove forests, and critical marine habitats from LNG-related infrastructure;
• Ensure transparency and meaningful public participation in all energy planning processes;
• Prioritize renewable energy solutions that are community-based, affordable, and environmentally sustainable;
• Align Bali’s energy future with its climate commitments and biodiversity protection goals.
The future of Indonesia’s archipelago must be built on living oceans, thriving communities, and genuine renewable energy—not fossil gas expansion.
Reporter : Daniel Herry
