Indonesia is expediting the advancement of bioenergy derived from agricultural products such as cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, and corn as a means towards attaining domestic energy independence.
Zulkifli Hasan, the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, conveyed that President Prabowo Subianto had instructed the action during a coordination meeting.
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One of the proposed initiatives by the government involves the expansion of cassava farming to produce ethanol as a viable alternative fuel source.
"The cassava plants will later be converted into ethanol. Then there will also be acceleration in palm oil development, part of which will be used for biofuel.”
"Other commodities such as sugarcane and corn will also be utilised as raw materials for ethanol production in the development of national bioenergy,” he said.
Zulkifli noted that the government has not specified precise goals for bioenergy production using agricultural products, but emphasized that the utilization of cassava, sugarcane, corn, and palm oil for renewable fuels is intended to enhance energy diversification and decrease reliance on traditional fossil fuels.
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According to statistics released by the Agriculture Ministry in Indonesia, the country's palm oil output was recorded at approximately 47 million metric tons in 2023 and is anticipated to increase to 48.12 million metric tons by the year 2025. The average yield is currently estimated at about 3.3 metric tons per hectare.
The Ministry of Agriculture anticipates that there will be a production of approximately 18 million tons of dry shelled corn in 2026, with growth in yields estimated at 4.18 percent in the initial quarter of the year.
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Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is considering the implementation of an E20 fuel blend, comprised of 20 percent ethanol mixed with gasoline, by 2028 in order to diminish the country's reliance on imported fuel sources.
The government is expediting national electricity infrastructure projects, including the construction of solar power plants with a total capacity of up to 100 gigawatts, as part of its efforts to promote bioenergy development.