Pertamina NRE Establishes Bioethanol Development Centre in Lampung with 60 KL Capacity
LAMPUNG — Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE) has launched a Bioethanol Development Centre with a production capacity of 60 kilolitres per year in Tegineneng, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung, on Monday (14/09/2026). The facility serves as a pilot centre to develop and test bioethanol production technologies, covering everything from feedstock development and cultivation to the validation of production processes.
The launch involved various stakeholders, including government officials, academics, and strategic partners. Notable attendees included the Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Deputy Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Todotua Pasaribu, the President Commissioner of PT Pertamina Mochamad Iradwan, the President Director of Pertamina NRE John Anis, and the Governor of Lampung Rahmat Mirzani Djausal, alongside executives from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia and Toyota Tsusho Indonesia.
John Anis, President Director of Pertamina NRE, stated that the development centre employs a multi-feedstock and multi-generation technology approach. This method allows for bioethanol development by utilising diverse raw materials and both first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) production technologies. He noted that this approach is aimed at optimising local resource potential while supporting the formation of a national bioethanol ecosystem.
The launch of the Bioethanol Development Centre was also marked by the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). The first is an agreement between Pertamina NRE and the Lampung Provincial Government to develop agribusiness, energy security, and food security in the region.
The second MoU was signed between Pertamina NRE, PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia, Toyota Tsusho Indonesia, and the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (raBit) to explore the technical and commercial potential of sustainable bioethanol production in Indonesia. This collaboration includes feasibility studies, technology development, and the exchange of knowledge regarding bioethanol.
Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Deputy Head of BKPM, Todotua Pasaribu, remarked that bioethanol development can create an ecosystem that integrates the agricultural, industrial, technological, and investment sectors into a single renewable energy-based economic chain. He highlighted Lampung’s potential, noting strategies such as synergy with PTPN, integrated sorghum development, and the downstreaming of cassava and maize to support energy security.
Sorghum has been identified as a key feedstock due to its competitive productivity and harvest cycle. John Anis noted that sorghum is particularly attractive because it can be harvested up to three times a year. Under the multi-generation approach, sorghum juice will be used as feedstock for first-generation (1G) bioethanol, while the remaining stalks and biomass will be developed for second-generation (2G) bioethanol.
The Bioethanol Development Centre in Lampung will function as a pilot facility to test various combinations of feedstock and production technologies, including pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation, and dehydration. John reaffirmed Pertamina NRE’s commitment to supporting the President’s programme and the ambitious goal of achieving a production capacity of 1 million kilolitres of bioethanol per year through this multi-generation system.