The Minister Of Research And Technology Hopes That Fossil Fuels Will Be Replaced With Palm-Based Ones

Minister of Research and Technology (Menristek) / Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Bambang PS Brodjonegoro (Puspita Perwitasari / Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Research and Technology (Menristek) / Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Bambang PS Brodjonegoro encourages a variety of comprehensive steps and best practices to realize palm oil-based Indonesian biofuels to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

"Instead of depending on fossil fuels, Indonesia needs to achieve environmentally friendly fuels in stages and we hope that palm oil production from small-scale farmers can be the key to this renewable energy source," said Menristek Bambang in the Indonesia-Brazil virtual seminar on Development. Biofuels: Lessons from Brazil's Bioethanol-Based Biofuels Development, Jakarta, reported by Antara, Thursday, September 10.

Through the seminar, Indonesia could learn from Brazil for the development of biofuels including pricing schemes, regulations, research support, development and innovation.

Bambang said, Indonesia really hopes to realize biofuel to replace fossil fuels, of course, starting in stages from a pilot scale until finally having a wider market in the country.

Biofuel development requires an appropriate regulatory, incentive and funding scenario.

"Hopefully it can become our 'mainstream' (main) fuel in the future," said Bambang.

Indonesia has a high dependence on fossil fuels where the current share is around 90 percent of the total energy in Indonesia, while renewable energy is only about nine percent. Of course it is not sustainable, so Indonesia needs to develop alternative energy from renewable fuel sources, namely biofuels.

Indonesia has been a net oil importer since 2014. Petroleum production in Indonesia is only 808,000 barrels per day, but consumption is much higher at 1,790,000 barrels per day.

Therefore, the Government of Indonesia is strongly committed to encouraging biohydrocarbon biofuel innovation as a solution to meet domestic fuel consumption needs, which since 2014 reached 1,790,000 barrels per day.

The success of Pertamina and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in piloting the production of green diesel D100 from Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO) with a capacity of 1,000 barrels per day at the Pertamina Dumai Refinery has given a glimmer of hope for the rise of renewable energy independence in Indonesia.

In addition to palm oil-based biohydrocarbon fuel that will play a role in import substitution, this fuel also provides opportunities for the empowerment of smallholders in the industrialization of IVO (biohydrocarbon raw materials) and small stand-alone biohydrocarbon fuel refineries integrated with oil palm plantations which of course improve the welfare of smallholder oil palm farmers.

Palm-based biohydrocarbon fuels are renewable natural resource commodities which in Indonesia have abundant potential.