ESDM says the DME project will proceed despite CNG

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) says the DME (Dimethyl Ether) project will proceed even as a CNG project is being pursued as an alternative to LPG. ‘So LPG exists, we are still producing it. Then there will be CNG, there will be DME, and several other possibilities must be explored,’ said Ahmad Erani Yustika, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, when asked at the ESDM office in Jakarta on Tuesday. He noted that the DME project, or coal gasification intended as an alternative to LPG, remains underway even as the government steps up efforts to promote CNG as an LPG substitute. ‘Having more variation and sources is good for self-reliance,’ Erani added. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said trials for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in a 3-kilogram size were conducted in China and Indonesia. CNG is not a new technology; it has been used in the hospitality sector, restaurants, and the Free Nutritious Meals programme (MBG). However, its use has so far been limited to large cylinders with capacities above 10 to 20 kilograms. The trials are being conducted to develop small CNG cylinders equivalent to 3 kilograms LPG. In his view, the main challenge in the trials is the technical aspect due to the much higher CNG gas pressures, around 200 to 250 bar. In addition, the government is conducting a comprehensive review of the CNG subsidy scheme. The option to subsidise remains open, but the mechanism and volume are still under discussion.