KAI Reduces Energy Consumption by 15.39%, Energy Use per Passenger Becomes 22% More Efficient

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) continues to improve energy efficiency in its operational activities and services. Based on the KAI 2025 Sustainability Report, the company’s total energy consumption decreased from 11,945,467 gigajoules (GJ) in 2024 to 10,107,302 GJ in 2025.

Through this achievement, KAI reduced its energy usage by 1,838,165 GJ or 15.39% within one year. The reduction was achieved while the company continued to serve 503,549,740 customers and transport 69,571,601 tons of goods throughout 2025.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba explained that gigajoule is used as a measurement unit because KAI’s energy consumption comes from various sources with different units. Electricity from PLN and solar panels is initially recorded in kilowatt-hours (kWh), while gasoline, diesel fuel, and biodiesel are recorded in liters.

To enable all energy sources to be aggregated and compared, each source is converted into the same measurement unit, namely gigajoules. This measurement follows the sustainability reporting standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

“Simply put, it is similar to converting kilograms, quintals, and tons into a single unit before adding them together. Since electricity and fuel have different initial measurement units, all energy sources must first be converted into gigajoules. This allows KAI to determine the total energy actually used and compare efficiency levels from year to year,” said Anne.

In the calculation process, one liter of gasoline is equivalent to 0.0342 GJ, one liter of diesel fuel or biodiesel is equivalent to 0.0379 GJ, and one kWh of electricity is equivalent to 0.0036 GJ. Fuel conversion refers to national greenhouse gas inventory guidelines, while electricity conversion uses references from the electricity sector and international energy standards.

The decrease in energy consumption was also accompanied by improved service efficiency. In passenger services, average energy requirements decreased from 0.0263 GJ per customer in 2024 to 0.0205 GJ per customer in 2025.

This means that the energy required by KAI to serve one customer became 22.05% more efficient compared to the previous year.

“This figure does not mean that each customer directly consumes 0.0205 GJ of energy. The value is obtained by dividing the total energy used by KAI throughout the year by the number of customers served. The lower the figure, the more efficient the energy used to provide services,” said Anne.

Similar efficiency improvements were recorded in freight services. Energy requirements decreased from 0.1726 GJ per ton of goods in 2024 to 0.1453 GJ per ton in 2025. Therefore, the energy required to transport one ton of goods became 15.82% more efficient.

Energy intensity against revenue also declined from 0.3308 GJ per Rp billion in 2024 to 0.2826 GJ per Rp billion in 2025, representing an improvement of 14.57%.

These figures demonstrate that KAI’s energy consumption decreased, while the energy used to provide customer services, transport goods, and support business activities became increasingly efficient. The company’s total energy usage and energy intensity data are reported in the Energy Aspect section of the KAI 2025 Sustainability Report.

Entering the first half of 2026, KAI Group’s service scale continued to grow. KAI Group served 258,993,359 customers, an increase of 7.55% compared to 240,805,920 customers in Semester I 2025. During the same period, KAI’s freight services reached approximately 32.50 million tons.

“An increase in service capacity must be accompanied by disciplined energy management. KAI’s focus is to ensure that additional customers and freight volumes can be served through increasingly efficient energy utilization, while maintaining operational safety and reliability,” said Anne.

Energy efficiency is further strengthened through the utilization of renewable energy. KAI currently operates 113 solar power plants across 92 locations, consisting of 62 stations, 10 railway workshops, 10 offices, six griya karya facilities, three depots, and one record center.

The total installed solar power capacity reaches 4,430.65 kilowatt peak (kWp) or approximately 4.43 megawatt peak (MWp). Its utilization has the potential to reduce emissions by more than 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Electricity generated from solar panels is used to support various KAI facilities, including lighting, electronic equipment, customer service areas, offices, and operational support facilities. As a result, part of KAI’s electricity demand that was previously supplied entirely by conventional sources can now be fulfilled through solar energy.

Since July 1, 2026, KAI has also conducted a three-month trial implementation of B50 biodiesel. B50 is a fuel blend consisting of 50% bio-based biodiesel and 50% diesel fuel.

The trial is conducted to evaluate the impact of B50 usage on engine performance, fuel consumption, filtration systems, maintenance requirements, and the reliability of railway assets under various operating conditions.

“B50 contains a higher biodiesel composition compared to B40, which was previously used. Therefore, its implementation requires technical testing and evaluation to ensure compliance with safety requirements, asset readiness, and railway operational reliability,” said Anne.

Energy management is also closely related to the development of rail-based freight services. Trains are capable of transporting large volumes of cargo in a single scheduled journey, reducing the need for multiple road vehicles and trips.

According to the KAI 2025 Sustainability Report, one freight train formation can transport approximately 3,050 tons of cargo. To transport an equivalent capacity by road, approximately 144 trailer trucks would be required.

This comparison highlights the advantage of rail transportation in consolidating large cargo volumes into a single train formation. The benefits include more efficient fuel utilization, reduced traffic congestion, and lower risks of road damage caused by heavy vehicles.

“For the industrial sector, freight trains provide large capacity, scheduled services, and more efficient energy utilization for medium- to long-distance transportation. Increasing distribution through rail can help strengthen a more efficient national logistics system,” said Anne.

Resource efficiency is also supported through service digitalization. Throughout Semester I 2026, the Face Recognition Boarding Gate facility was used by 5,555,034 long-distance train customers.

The utilization of this facility is estimated to reduce the need for approximately 13,888 rolls of boarding pass paper, with estimated cost savings reaching Rp203.80 million. Based on internal simulations, the reduction in paper usage is equivalent to approximately 75 trees of raw material.

KAI also provides 124 free drinking water facilities at 58 stations across 70 service areas. Customers can refill their drinking water using personal tumblers, helping reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles during travel.

“Energy efficiency is part of the company’s comprehensive resource management strategy. KAI manages fuel, electricity, paper, water, and other operational needs in a measurable manner to ensure reliable services while gradually reducing environmental impacts,” concluded Anne.

VP Corporate Communication KAI