Pertamina NRE accelerates multi-feedstock based bioethanol development
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (NRE) is accelerating the development of multi-feedstock and multi-generation based bioethanol through the Bioethanol Development Centre located in Tegineneng, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung.
John Anis, President Director of Pertamina NRE, stated that the Bioethanol Development Centre utilises various raw material potentials and production technologies for both first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) bioethanol.
“This approach is expected to optimise the potential of local resources while supporting the development of the national bioethanol ecosystem,” John said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.
He noted that the facility is being developed as a pilot-scale development and testing platform for bioethanol, covering feedstock development, cultivation, technology testing, and the validation of bioethanol production processes.
Furthermore, John added that sorghum is one of the promising raw materials for development due to its competitive productivity potential and harvest cycle.
Sorghum development in Lampung is directed towards a multi-generation approach, utilising sap as a raw material for first-generation (1G) bioethanol. Meanwhile, the stalks or remaining biomass after sap extraction can be developed as raw material for second-generation (2G) bioethanol.
The Bioethanol Development Centre in Lampung is being developed as a pilot facility with a bioethanol production capacity of up to 60 kilolitres per year, he explained.
The facility will be used to test various combinations of raw materials and technologies, ranging from pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation, to dehydration, including the pre-treatment stages for 2G feedstock processing.
“Pertamina NRE is deeply committed to supporting the President’s programme and the grand ambition to achieve a production of 1 million kilolitres of bioethanol per year using a multi-generation system,” said John.
The Bioethanol Development Centre also marks the beginning of Lampung’s development as an end-to-end bioethanol development hub, spanning from feedstock development and cultivation to processing and technology validation, he added.
“Moving forward, the results of testing at the pilot scale will serve as the basis for technical, economic, and commercial assessments in determining the transition towards demonstration and commercial scales,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pertamina NRE also signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to support the facility.
The first is an MoU between Pertamina NRE and the Lampung Provincial Government for the development of agribusiness, energy security, and food security in Lampung Province.
The second is an MoU between Pertamina NRE, TMMIN, TTI, and the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (raBit) to explore the technical and commercial potential of sustainable bioethanol production and utilisation in Indonesia, including feasibility studies, technology development, and the exchange of knowledge and experience.