RI should seek alternative fuel

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the recent fuel shortage troubling many cities across the country, automotive experts have urged Indonesia to seek alternative fuel for its millions of vehicles.

The country has been facing a fuel scarcity following state oil and gas firm Pertamina's move to reduce fuel supply at weekends to meet the government-set quota of 59.6 million kiloliters.

"Never in the past did people predict we would be in this kind of situation, although everybody knows that fossil fuels will run out someday. It's time to move to alternative energies," said Peter Froeschle of DaimlerChrysler's research and technology department at a symposium here on Thursday.

"The first and most important step is to make policies to provide better fuels before we look for alternative fuels," he said, suggesting the consumption of leaded gasoline be reduced.

He explained that high-quality fuel burned more efficiently but also enabled low-emission technology to be installed in the vehicles.

Froeschle suggested the use of natural gas, of which Indonesia has vast reserves of 188.34 trillion standard cubic feet, as one solution.

However, he said the investment for compressed natural gas (CNG) refiling stations for vehicles remained a big challenge.

"Only vehicles with manageable daily mileage, like public buses or taxis, can use CNG because the refiling stations are scarce," he said.

Biomass, he further explained, could be another alternative.

Froeschle said in his paper that in Europe, 20 percent of fuel requirements could be covered by biofuels, which would prevent up to 200 million tons of carbon dioxide emission annually and reduce emissions by up to 50 percent.

He said each developing countries could either chose to apply CNG or biomass, as both effectively reduced emission levels in the air.

"All energy that is not derived from fossil fuels is good, be it solar, gas or biomass. It depends on the potential of the country."

In an effort to reduce emission levels, the Ministry of Transportation is preparing legislation that would allow the private sector to conduct emission tests across the country.

The ministry's department for land transportation infrastructure Djarot Subroto said 200 regencies and cities had emission test posts, but the other 200 regencies and cities did not. (006)