Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Predicts Indonesia Can Generate 56.97 GW Of Electricity From Biomass

Special Staff to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources for Strategy to Accelerate the Implementation of Transition Energy and Energy Infrastructure Development Ego Syahrial. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) predicts that Indonesia can produce electricity equivalent to 56.97 GW from promising biomass potential.

Special Staff to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia for Strategy to Accelerate the Implementation of Energy Transition and Energy Infrastructure Development, Ego Syahrial explained, the use of Bionergries, especially biomass products, can be a better energy source to increase the electrification and projected ratio, which can help increase national energy security.

"Indonesia has the potential for bioenergy, a very large source of biomass, which is equivalent to 56.97 GW of electricity and 2060, Indonesia will build more than 700 GW of renewable energy plants, of which 60 GW comes from bioenergy power plants," Ego told the media, Friday, October 6.

Ego added, in addition to utilizing biomass for power plants, these resources will also be optimized through a cofiring biomass program for coal Steam Power Plants (PLTU).

He explained that the implementation of cofiring itself had been carried out since 2020 with a blending rate of 1 percent to 15 percent depending on the type of filler and the availability of raw materials.

"Biomoss-cofiring will be applied to 113 PLTU units belonging to PLN in 52 locations with a total capacity of 18,664 MW, using various biomass sources such as sawdust, wood debris, palm waste with a mixing rate of 5-15 percent," explained Ego.

Furthermore, he added, the purpose of burning together with biomass at the existing PLTU is to fulfill the economy of providing electricity, increase the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and "green" PLTU faster.

"In 2023, cofiring will be announced in 42 locations. This project can produce 2,740 GWh of environmentally friendly energy and consume 2.2 million tons of biomass," explained Ego.

Just so you know, until the first half of this year, cofiring has been implemented in 36 locations and produces 325 GWh of green energy, which reduces emissions by 321 ktCO2.

The total biomass used in the power plant is 306 kilo tons. And to support the development of cofiring, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is finalizing a ministerial regulation regarding the implementation of cofiring at the existing PLTU.