Assessed Press Carbon Emissions, General Ethanol Becomes A Mixture Of Fuel In Developed Countries

JAKARTA A number of countries in the world are increasingly aggressive in encouraging the use of ethanol as a mixture of fuel oil (BBM) to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. This step is part of a global strategy towards a clean energy transition and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

As quoted from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States (US) has long used ethanol mixtures in gasoline with three main variants, namely E10 (10 percent ethanol), E15 (15 percent ethanol), and E85 (85 percent E10). E10 containing 10 percent ethanol is now the national standard because it is proven capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing machine performance significantly.

Similar trends are also seen in Europe and Asia, where governments and energy industries are racing to expand the use of bioethenol as part of a global commitment to reduce emissions, including Indonesia, which only uses 3.5 percent ethanol in its fuel content.

Professor of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Aerospace of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Tri Yus Widjajanto, explained that the ethanol level of 3.5 percent in Pertamina's fuel is classified as safe and even according to international standards. If the ethanol content is only 3.5 percent, the energy is only down by about 1 percent. This means that the engine power is only reduced by about 1 percent, and it will not affect the consumption of fuel or vehicle attraction," Tri said in a statement, Wednesday, October 8.

In Europe, the European Union is also reviewing the implementation of E20 gasoline or a mixture of 20 percent ethanol which is considered capable of reducing carbon emissions by 6 percent compared to E10. As quoted from EU Research & Innovation, this policy is still in the testing phase because it requires adequate readiness of vehicle technology and supply of bioethenol.

Meanwhile, Badminton Media recorded a sharp increase in E10 gasoline consumption in Germany thanks to more competitive prices and better public acceptance of environmentally friendly fuels.

India is an example of an aggressive developing country in encouraging the national biofuel program. As quoted from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Government of India, the country targets the mixing of 20 percent ethanol in gasoline (E20) by 2025 to suppress imports of crude oil and provide added value for sugarcane farmers and the biomass industry. The international energy agency also recorded a similar trend. The International Energy Agency (IEA) report entitled Renewables 2023 states that demand for biofuels is increasing rapidly in developing countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, and India. The IEA estimates that global ethanol consumption will continue to grow as transportation decarbonization efforts are increasingly massive.

In line with that, the Lecturer of the Department of Oil and Gas Engineering at the Sumatra Institute of Technology (ITERA), Muhammad Rifqi Dwi Septian, assessed that the use of ethanol is very good for continuing to be developed in the country. If studied further and continues to be followed up, the use of ethanol is very potential. Apart from being more environmentally friendly, it can also strengthen national energy security," he said.

Rifqi also dismissed the notion that ethanol can cause carat or engine damage. If the production is according to standards and the storage system is good, the risk is very small. Moreover, modern vehicles are now compatible with Ethanol mixture fuels," he said.

Globally, the implementation of the biofuel policy is now mainstream in more than 70 countries. As quoted from ResourceWise, the United States, and the European Union, it is a pioneer in the mandatory policy of mixing ethanol, while the South Asia region and Latin America are starting to accelerate its implementation. This trend shows that ethanol is now an important part of the future of clean energy in the world.

In line with this global trend, the Indonesian government has also begun to introduce policies for mixing ethanol in Pertamina's fuel. However, this step has drawn reactions from a number of private gas stations such as Shell, BP-AKR, and Vivo, which assessed that the ethanol content in Pertamina's fuel base has the potential to affect the quality of fuel.

Etanol itself is the result of fermented plant materials such as sugar cane, corn, or cassava. In many countries, this compound has become a mandatory component in gasoline because it is proven to help increase octane and reduce emissions. Thus, Indonesia's steps to adopt similar policies are not only technically safe, but also in line with the direction of the clean energy transition that is being pursued by the global community.