German Researchers Explore Cooperation In Utilizing EBT With PTPN V

German researcher from the Institute of f\"ur ZukunftsEnergie und Stoffstromsystem (IZES) and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research visited PTPN V/ANTARA

PEKANBARU - German researcher from the Institute of f\"ur ZukunftsEnergie und Stoffstromsystem (IZES) and Institute for Energy and Environmental Research are exploring the potential for cooperation in the use of new and renewable energy (EBT) to replace coal as an energy source in the textile industry with the palm oil biomass of PT Perkebunan Nusantara V.

PTPN V CEO Jatmiko Santosa welcomed the arrival of the two German researchers.

He said PTPN V's strategy in strengthening the use of EBT was through synergy and knowledge transfer with various parties. Starting from the National Research and Innovation Agency to private companies, it has succeeded in building five biogas power generation installations (PTBG).

"In line with the company's 'grand strategy' to produce sustainable plus palm oil products which have been implemented since 2019, efforts to decarbonize and utilize renewable energy have become one of the programs that have accelerated," said Jatmiko as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, November 4.

Currently, he continued, PTPN V is the largest state-owned plantation company that utilizes EBT through processing "Palm Oil Methyl Esther" (POME) with PTBg.

Recently, PTPN V's seriousness in maximizing EBT was rewarded with the 2023 Asean Energy Awards (AEA) in the 41st ASEAN Minister on Energy Meeting (AMEM) and ASEAN Energy Business Forum series.

In addition, the subsidiary of potential founder of PalmCo in the near future is also collaborating with South Korea and Japan to strengthen the use of biogas.

Scientific Director of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Dr. Guido Reinhardt, immediately visited the PTPN V Board of Directors Office, Pekanbaru City, recently.

"We have the desire to subtitute coal that has been used in the textile industry with sustainable energy sources, namely biomass produced by PTPN V," said Guido.

He appreciated the approach of the subsidiary of Holding Perkebunan Nusantara III Persero in utilizing EBT through processing palm liquid waste.

According to him, PTPN V has made very good use of EBT in recent times. he said the success brought him to visit the company that utilizes the largest EBT in all PTPN Group and witnessed the installation of biogas power plants (PLTBg) in Kebun Tandun, PTPN V.

"We want to see firsthand how PTPN V approaches in utilizing EBT," he said.

Even so, he admits that it is not easy to change the habit of less environmentally friendly energy to more environmentally friendly energy. It took at least 5 years, he said to be able to convert fuel from coal to more environmentally friendly ones.

"Of course we hope that sustainable energy sources will become the backbone of industry, especially textiles in the future so that later economic forces will be built for both parties, Indonesia can send products to the European market, they can also enter our market," he explained.