Experts urge government to promote biofuel

Experts urge government to promote biofuel

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As fuel prices continue to soar on the international market,
environmentalists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
businesses have renewed their calls for the government to develop
biofuels to help conserve energy and reduce air pollution.

"We have to shift our energy sources from fossil fuels to
biofuel, such as crude palm oil (CPO) and/or castor oil, which
are abundant here in our country," environmentalist Ahmad
Syafrudin told a seminar last week.

During the event, which was organized by the city
administration and Swisscontact, participants, who included
officials from the Office of the State Minister for the
Environment, NGOs, researchers and businesspeople, it was agreed
that Indonesia is in dire need of alternative fuels as the
country will soon run out of reserves, partly due to the
increasing number of vehicles.

Looking at the government's current drive to conserve energy,
Ahmad said there was no reason for biofuel to be excluded as it
was one of the best options for resolving the country's problems
in dealing with increases in oil prices.

Fuel prices on the international market shot up to US$66 per
barrel last week, prompting the government to suggest that it
will increase fuel prices at home before January 2006.

Fuel shortages are common in Indonesia, despite it being a
member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC).

In order to ease the energy burden, President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono issued Instruction No. 10/2005 requiring all local and
central government offices to reduce power consumption on air
conditioners, lighting and office appliances, and especially fuel
for vehicles.

Last week, the government announced that although world oil
prices had hit US$66 per barrel, Indonesia would not benefit as
the country had become a net oil importer.

An expert on biofuel, Tri Mumpuni, who together with her
husband Iskandar Kuntoaji has traveled to several areas across
the country to train villagers on how to use biofuel, argued that
the technology used to produce fuel from CPO or castor oil was
simple so that even villagers would be able to master it.

"We can easily plant oil palms or castor-oil plants here in
Indonesia. I have taught villagers in a number of areas of
Indonesia to use castor oil as a replacement for kerosene,
diesel, or gasoline in their mechanical equipment and trucks. We
have also used castor oil as a fuel in electricity generators,"
she said.

The West Nusa Tenggara administration has successfully been
using castor oil to generate electricity.

Tri said that Indonesia lagged behind Malaysia, which has been
using CPO in its power projects.

"Malaysia plants oil palms here or buys the oil from us, and
they process it into fuel. It's a pity that as a producer of CPO
we can't benefit from it," he said.

Biodiesel entrepreneur Bambang Tribudiman, who also attended
the seminar, said that besides replacing gasoline or diesel,
biodiesel produced from CPO produced little pollution.

"It would also be cheaper than gasoline if the latter were not
subsidized. With a retail price of Rp 3,500 per liter, the
producers make Rp 500 per liter. Without a subsidy, people would
be encouraged to use biodiesel in their vehicles," he said.

He added that the price of castor oil would be even cheaper.

Tri said that unsubsidized gasoline would cost Rp 4,500 per
liter.

Both Ahmad and Tri agreed that the development of biofuel
would need government support before it would be capable of being
widely used.