BPPT pushes for renewable energy sources<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia will promote the use of renewable materials, using
\nbiomass techniques, geothermal energy and hydro power, to
\ngenerate electricity to liberate itself from dependence on
\nexpensive and diminishing fossil fuels.<\/p>\n
\"Renewable resources are in line with the national energy
\npolicy, or the green policy, that we are currently developing,\"
\nsaid Yogo Pratomo, the Director General of Electricity and Energy
\nUsage at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.<\/p>\n
The newly appointed director general announced at a press
\nconference held on the sidelines of an international workshop on
\nbiomass and clean fossil fuel power plant technology at the
\nInter-Continental Hotel in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The two-day workshop was organized by the Agency for the
\nAssessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) with the aim of
\neducating industry leaders about the problems of and solutions to
\nthe impending electricity crisis. With the energy shortfall
\nautonomous regions will have to develop new power plants and the
\nBPPT hopes most of those will employ renewable energy sources.<\/p>\n
Eighty-five percent of Indonesia's national energy consumption
\ncomes from fossil-based oil and gas, which are expected to run
\nout within the next 15 to 20 years. Biomass technology, with a
\npotential to produce up to 50,000 MegaWatts (MW) nationwide, is
\nconsidered one of the best alternatives to replace fossil fuels.<\/p>\n
\"While the potential is there, currently only about 640 MW of
\nelectricity is being produced using biomass,\" said Yogo. \"Most is
\nthe by-product of forestry businesses.\"<\/p>\n
In addition forestry waste, estate crops waste, such as palm
\nfruit or sugarcane bagasse, agriculture crop waste, such as paddy
\nhusks or cassava stems and city waste can be converted into
\nenergy by a combustion process.<\/p>\n
\"Because such things are considered waste, they are
\npractically free of charge,\" said Yogo. \"Diesel fuel is
\nexpensive, and in remote areas, there's also high transportation
\ncosts.\"<\/p>\n
To name another advantage, biomass produces only clean gasses
\nas excess.<\/p>\n
However, Indonesia lacks the technology to undertake such a
\nprocess on a large scale. Foreign countries, such as Japan,
\nFinland and the United Kingdom have shown interest in developing
\nsmall-scale biomass power plants for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
PT Navigat Innovative Ind., cooperating with Organics Ltd.
\nfrom the United Kingdom, is planning to build a facility to
\nconvert city waste from Denpasar, Gianyar, Tabanan and Badung
\nregencies in Bali into energy.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently in negotiations with (state-owned electric
\ncompany) PLN on power pricing,\" said Sebastiaan Sauren, Navigat's
\ndirector.<\/p>\n
The planned power plant is expected to produce 20 MW of
\nelectricity from 800 tons of waste daily. \"The investment needed
\nis US$40 million,\" said Sebastiaan. He declined to name the
\nprivate investors involved.<\/p>\n
Separately, Yogo also said that the government had proposed an
\nenergy law, which would stipulate that all power producers were
\nobligated to use renewable materials to produce at least five
\npercent of their total capacity.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that it can be endorsed by the House of
\nRepresentatives before the upcoming national elections,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bppt-pushes-for-renewable-energy-sources-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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