Determined Using Gas As Transitional Energy, This Is The Strategy Of Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources

Illustration of natural gas (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government is determined to use natural gas as a transitional energy from fossil energy to clean energy because its availability is quite large and it is more environmentally friendly than petroleum.

Director General of Oil and Gas Tutuka Ariadji said the government continues to be committed to optimizing natural gas as a transitional energy by taking several steps.

Among other things, the power plant gasification program supports the development of Special Economic Zones (KEK), and city gas networks, as well as the construction of a new oil refinery (GRR), and an increase in oil refinery capacity (RDMP).

"Other steps are the construction of gas transmission pipelines, gas distribution networks, construction of smelters, construction of small-scale LNG, LNG bunkering, optimization of existing SPBGs, and development of hydrogen," explained Tutuka as quoted Friday, March 24.

Specifically regarding the transmission pipeline, currently the Cirebon - Batang pipeline is being built as part of the Cirebon - Semarang pipeline (CISEM) and is expected to be completed around July to August 2023.

The construction of the CISEM pipeline is part of the transmission pipeline interconnection plan between the Sumatra, Western Java transmission pipeline network, and the Eastern Java transmission pipeline network.

At present, continued Tutuka, steps to optimize natural gas as a transition energy are still facing several challenges, such as fiscal improvement of upstream oil and gas to increase investment, availability of long-term supply, the discovery of larger gas fields, the connection of gas pipeline infrastructure from Sumatra to Java, integration of infrastructure pipes and non-pipes, as well as ease of bureaucracy and permits, especially from the Regional Government.

In order for optimization to run smoothly, said Tutuka, cross-sectoral and long-term energy planning, large funding support, and international cooperation are needed.

"Support is also needed in the field of technology and a conducive investment climate," he concluded.