JAKARTA - BJA Group, a wood pellet manufacturer integrated with the largest capacity permit in Indonesia, reaffirms its commitment to supporting the transition to renewable green energy through the practice of managing biomass that is legal, sustainable, and free of deforestation. As an important milestone for the company's sustainability journey, the BJA Group consisting of PT Biomasa Jaya Abadi (BJA), PT Banyun Tumbuh Lestari (BTL), and PT Inti Global Laksana (IGL), held the 20 millionth odd tree planting action.
This achievement is not only a symbol of the company's commitment to the green economy of the future, but also clear evidence of the role of the biomass sector in promoting the welfare of local communities. This activity is also an important milestone for the wood pellet industry to prove that green energy can grow in line with environmental conservation and community welfare when the entire process is carried out legally, sustainably, and verified.
The planting of the 20 millionth gamal tree was carried out on Friday, November 21, in the BTL planting area located in Block I-10 in East Popayato, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo Province. BTL first planted a gamal in May 2022. Until now, the total odd tree that has been planted by BTL has reached around 20,400,000.000 trees in an area of about 4,080 hectares.
The gamal plant, which was first planted by BTL, has now reached a height of about 8 meters with a trunk diameter of about 8 cm. The plant will be harvested at the age of 4-5 years with a trunk diameter of about 10-15 cm and a height of 10-12 meters. All plants that are planted by BTL are the result of their own nursery.
Director of Biomasa Jaya Abadi (BJA) Group Zunaidi emphasized that this tree's 20 millionth gamal planting activity is a symbol of BJA Group's commitment to developing sustainable bioenergy while preserving the Gorontalo environment. He emphasized that this initiative is an effort to immediately carry out planting after land preparation. This is also proof that the Indonesian biomass industry can grow without deforestation in addition to reforestation that is planned and sustainable.
Every gamal tree that we plant is not just an energy plant, but a representation of our commitment to greening the future and building renewable energy sources from sustainable raw materials. Through the planting of these 20-million trees, we plant hope for energy sustainability and one of the sources of community livelihood in Pohuwato Regency," said Zunaidi in planting activities.
A gamal tree is a plant that will later become raw material to be processed into wood pellets by BJA. Gamal plants include refined plants that can be harvested 4 to 5 times in one harvest with a harvest cycle of 4-5 years. In addition to being a source of new and renewable energy raw materials, the gamal is also a very significant plant to maintain conservation because it grows rapidly with a density of 5,000 trees per hectare or a planting distance of 2x1 meters and a wide spread of silver.
The entire process of producing wood pellets BJA Group is run legally, sustainably, transparently, and meets SVLK (Legality Verification and Sustainable System). According to the Director General of Forest Management Lestari, Ministry of Forestry, Laksmi Wijayanti, SVLK guarantees that every forest product, including wood pellets, can be traced its origin, legal, and produced in a sustainable manner. This system is in line with the commitment of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and international agreements such as FLEGT-VPA.
"We want to show that the Indonesian wood pellet industry is legal, sustainable, and prosperous so that it can be an example for the world," said Zunaidi.
In addition to supporting the creation of a greener future, BJA Group also continues to realize a positive contribution in realizing a better regional economy future and improving the welfare of the people in Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo.
BACA JUGA:
Since operating in Gorontalo, BJA Group has proven its commitment to improve people's welfare by absorbing large labor, especially labor from Gorontalo Province. As of September 2025, the number of workers in the BJA Group plus loading and unloading workers (TKBM) at PT Berkah Indah Gorontalo (BIG) amounted to 1,501 people.
Of this number, local workers from Pohuwato Regency reached 1,083 people or more than 72 percent. Around 12.5 percent of the BJA Group's workforce comes from other districts in Gorontalo. So, 84.5 percent of the BJA Group's workers are sons of the Gorontalo Province. Only 15.5% came from outside Gorontalo Province.
Now, the BJA Group has become the focus of life for thousands of employees and their families. If calculated, there are at least 3,000 people whose lives depend on the source of income derived from the BJA Group. From there, the circulation of money in Pohuwato continues to increase. Every month, the circulation of money from the income of BJA Group employees reaches at least IDR 7 billion.
Zunaidi thanked all stakeholders for providing support to the company.
"What we are planting today is for the future of future generations," added Zunaidi.
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