Pertamina NRE Officially Launches Bioethanol Development Centre
Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE) officially launched the Bioethanol Development Centre in Tegineneng, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung, on Monday (14/9). This facility has been developed as a pilot-scale development and testing platform for bioethanol, covering feedstock development, cultivation, technology testing, and the validation of bioethanol production processes.
The launch was attended by various stakeholders from the government, Pertamina, industry, academia, 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 Pertumnina (Persero) Mochamad Iriawan, the Director of Risk Management of PT Pertamina (Persero) Ahmad Siddik Badruddin, the President Director of Pertamina NRE John Anis, the Governor of Lampung Province Rahmat Mirzani Djausal, as well as the President Director of PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) Nandi Julyanto, and the President Director of Toyota Tsusho Indonesia (TTI) Toru Murakami.
President Director of Pertamina NRE, John Anis, explained that the technological objective of the Bioethanol Development Centre is to prioritise a multi-feedstock and multi-generation technology approach. This involves utilising various potential raw materials and both first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) bioethanol production technologies. This approach is expected to optimise local resource potential while supporting the development of the national bioethanol ecosystem.
The launch momentum was also marked by the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU). The first is a Joint Agreement 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. This includes feasibility studies, technology development and utilisation, as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience.
The Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Deputy Head of BKPM, Todotua Pasaribu, stated that bioethanol development can create an ecosystem that brings together agriculture, industry, technology, investment, and society into a single renewable energy-based economic chain.
“Lampung has 430,000 KL, with a main strategy of reactivation, synergy with PTPN, integrated sorghum development for first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G), the pilot Bioethanol Development Centre, cassava downstreaming, corn downstreaming, and factory conversion, so that it can support energy security,” said Todotua, as quoted from a written statement on Monday (14/9/2026).
Meanwhile, the President Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero), Mochammad Iriawan, expressed his appreciation to the Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Deputy Head of BKPM and the Governor of Lampung for the successful establishment of the Bioethanol Development Centre.
Furthermore, John explained that sorghum is one of the interesting raw materials to develop due to its competitive productivity and harvest cycle. “What is interesting about sorghum, besides its productivity, is that its cycle can allow for three harvests per year,” said John.
The development of sorghum in Lampung is directed towards a multi-generation approach, utilising juice as a feedstock for first-generation (1G) bioethanol, while the remaining biomass, such as the stalks, can be developed as feedstock for second-generation (2G) bioethanol.
John explained that the Bioethanol Development Centre in Lampung is developed as a pilot facility with a bioethanol production capacity of up to 60 kilolitres per year. This facility will be used to test various combinations of feedstock and technology, ranging from pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation to dehydration, including the pre-treatment stages for 2G feedstock processing.
“Pertamina NRE is very committed to supporting the President’s programme and the great ambition to achieve a production of 1 million kilolitres of bioethanol per year using a multi-generation system,” said John.
The launch of the Bioethanol Development Centre also marks the beginning of Lampung’s development as an end-to-end bioethanol development hub, ranging from feedstock development and cultivation to processing and technology validation. Moving forward, the results of the pilot-scale testing will serve as the basis for technical, economic, and commercial assessments to determine the transition towards demonstration and commercial scales.