[2] Batang Toru hydropower plant is meant to contribute to 15% of North Sumatra peak load electricity needs.

The project is a part of Indonesian National Strategic Program to build a number power plants with the total capacity of 35,000 MW.

The project is also a part of the national effort in reducing global warming through reduction of carbon emissions, an implementation of the Paris Agreement ratified by the Indonesian Government in Law No.16/2016.

[4] Due to this, state-owned electricity company PLN, requested to push the facility’s launch of commercial operations back from 2022 to 2025.

Batang Toru Hydropower Plant utilizes daily ponds with water body area of 66.7 hectares.

Upon operation, the hydropower plant will regulate the water flow to maintain the ecological function of the river and for power generator.

The habitat of orangutan is spread across forests in 163,000 hectares of Batang Toru ecosystem (TFCA, 2018) – an area the size of London and larger than Jakarta.

The Batang Toru Hydropower Plant occupied land of 122 hectares, smaller than the minimum area needed for a single orangutan.

[7] Scientists and environmentalists say that, in addition to impacting 10% of the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan's already dwindling habitat, infrastructure for the dam (roads and high-voltage power lines) will fragment the orangutan population below viable levels by degrading important wildlife corridors, and increase the likelihood of even further development.

[9][7] However, a spokesman for the developer, PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy, said that less than 6 square kilometres would be cleared and they would voluntarily abide by international standards for environmental and social impact assessment.