Turning To Green Energy, BPPT: Indonesia Can Save 373 Million Barrels Of Fuel Imports In 2050

Pertamina SPKLU. (Photo: Doc, Antara)

JAKARTA - The government continues to strive to improve the ability to produce electric vehicles in Indonesia. This effort is made in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and save the cost of importing fuel oil (BBM). This step is also the government's commitment to switch to more environmentally friendly energy or green energy.

Head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Hammam Riza said that if the government was able to transform from oil-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles in bulk, it would be able to save as much as 373 million barrels in 2050.

Therefore, said Hammam, steps to develop environmentally friendly energy must be carried out immediately.

"Imports of gasoline are one million barrels in 2020 and 373 million barrels in 2050, assuming the import price of gasoline used and the exchange rate is IDR 15.000 per dollar, the foreign exchange savings from imports of fuel is 5.86 billion dollars or around IDR 87.86 trillion", he said at the virtual launch of the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU), Thursday, August 5.

According to Hammam, until now, the government continues to draw up a road map in the development of national electric vehicles. After running in stages, the decline in fuel imports will begin to be seen since 2030.

Furthermore, said Hammam, the decline in fuel imports in 2030 is estimated at 2 percent. Then the decline will continue until 2050 by 6.6 percent.

"This decline in fuel imports occurred because there was a substitution from fuel vehicles to electric vehicles", he said.

In the future, said Hammam, the development of electric vehicles will become a trend in the international automotive world. With the many resources available in Indonesia, the government targets to be able to produce electric vehicles independently.

"We need to improve technology to produce electric vehicles in Indonesia. This is something that needs to be studied and developed", he said.