As A Substitute For Elpiji, Kaltimex Builds A Biogas Factory In NTB

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - PT Kaltimex Energy in collaboration with BUMD NTB and PT Gerbang NTB Emas (GNE) conducted a Compressed Biogas (CBG) factory groundbreaking.

The factory is targeted to reach the Commercial Operation Date (COD) stage by 2025.

Chairman of Kaltimex Group Ralhan said NTB Province was selected as the location of the CBG factory because it has a high commitment to the environment, with a zero carbon emission target by 2050, a zero waste program and industrialization.

"We hope to support the Indonesian government's plan to reduce the import rate of LPG in the future, given the high import of LPG in Indonesia throughout 2022 which reached 6.7 million tons or the equivalent of 82 percent of the total LPG volume consumed by the Indonesian people in the same year," said Ralhan in a written statement, Tuesday, August 22.

He explained that this factory will process agricultural waste in the form of corn tuna into raw material for making CBG.

This product can be used as a substitution for Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), which will be used by the hotel, restaurant and cafe (HORECA) industry.

Just so you know, this CBG factory is capable of producing up to 10 tons of CBG per day, and is expected to reduce emissions by 5,448 tons of CO2 per year, absorb labor, increase the use of renewable energy, and solve waste problems.

After carrying out the groundbreaking procession, NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah said this CBG factory represented two important issues, namely industrialization and zero waste.

These two things become an integral part of achieving sustainable development goals.

"The province of NTB has an ambitious target to achieve the target of reducing emissions by 3 million tons of CO2, therefore we must start processing our waste into useful ones such as corn tuna which is abundant in NTB so that it has added value, in this case it is changed to CBG," said Zul.

On the same occasion, the Coordinator of Investment and Bioenergy Cooperation of the Directorate General of EBTKE Trois Dilisusendi said the CBG factory in West Lombok will fill the needs of LPG for industry and commercial in NTB.

Thus, NTB becomes independent in energy and supports the use of new and renewable energy (EBT) in accelerating the target of zero carbon emissions.

"NTB has great potential for biomass from agricultural waste, especially corn tuna which reaches 180,000 tons, with technology being used to become CBG. The central government continues to encourage the use of biogas, one of which is the support for biogas procurement policies as other fuels," concluded Trois.