Prepare CNG, the Government Ensures Coal Gasification Also Remains an Option in Addition to Elpiji

Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ahmad Erani Yustika (Photo: Maria Trisnawati/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) ensures that it will continue to diversify alternative energy sources as a substitute for LPG.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ahmad Erani Yustika said that in addition to adding Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) options for the household sector, his party would still maintain the coal gasification project into Dimethyl Ether (DME).

"As far as I know, it (DME) is still an investment that Danantara is considering, yes, yesterday it was already in one location, yes," Erani told the media crew when met at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Office, Tuesday, May 19.

Erani said that the high import of LPG could not be solved with only one commodity, CNG.

For this reason, he continued, the government is still trying to diversify alternatives to replace LPG.

However, he ensured that LPG would still be used because the industry in the country is currently able to produce 20 percent of the total community needs.

"So there is LPG, we are still producing it, then there will be CNG, then there will be DME, and several other possibilities must be opened up. The more we have variations and many sources, the better for independence," said Erani.

Meanwhile, coal gasification into DME, Erani said that later the product is also intended for the household sector. This means that DME is not only for the industrial sector, but also other potential sectors.

"Everything, we want LPG for subsidies of all kinds to be reduced in number, yes industry, yes society," said Erani.