President: Global Crisis Accelerates Indonesia's Push for Food and Energy Self-Sufficiency
President Prabowo Subianto believes that the global crisis resulting from ongoing geopolitical tensions is actually accelerating Indonesia’s efforts to achieve food and energy self-sufficiency.
During a Full Cabinet Meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday, President Prabowo stated that the current global conditions are compelling the government to accelerate strategic steps that have long been planned. “In my view, the crisis is actually accelerating our transformation plan. In the end, we are forced to accelerate. We have long understood the problem; we have wanted food self-sufficiency and energy self-sufficiency. We were already moving in that direction. But now we will accelerate,” President Prabowo said.
The Head of State explained that the government has long recognised the importance of transitioning towards renewable energy and utilising energy sources derived from within the country. “We already know that we must shift our energy towards renewable energy, towards energy that we possess ourselves. We understand this. This accelerates matters. So this forces us to work harder,” President Prabowo stated.
President Prabowo also highlighted that Indonesia possesses various natural resources that can be utilised as alternative energy, including biofuels derived from palm oil, cassava, and corn. “We have palm oil, which we can convert into diesel and ethanol. We can use sugar cane, cassava, and corn. We have all of these. We have abundant geothermal resources. We can harness water power, hydroelectric energy, mini-hydroelectric systems—there are many options,” President Prabowo said.
Under this plan, the government is targeting the development of solar power capacity of up to 100 gigawatts within the next two years. President Prabowo noted that the land requirements for this project are estimated to reach approximately 100,000 hectares, with potential areas already identified.
Beyond renewable energy development, the President also highlighted a major new gas field discovered in the Andaman Sea, located off Aceh’s northern coast, which can strengthen national energy security. Prabowo is confident that Indonesia possesses sufficient natural resources to meet various energy challenges in the near term.
With the wealth of natural resources at its disposal, President Prabowo expressed optimism that Indonesia is capable of addressing various global challenges whilst simultaneously strengthening the foundation of national self-reliance in the food and energy sectors.