Susilo wants Asia, Africa to lead energy revolution
Susilo wants Asia, Africa to lead energy revolution
Rendi A. Witular and Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Amid the decline in conventional energy resources and rising
global pollution, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono suggested on
Monday that nations from Asia and Africa initiate the use of
renewable energy resources.
Speaking to participants at the Asian-African Symposium on
Renewable Energy, Susilo said there was a need to form a joint
community between countries in Asia and Africa to support the use
and development of renewable energy.
The symposium, along with the Regional Congress and Exhibition
on Renewable Energy, are being held in conjunction with the
upcoming Asian-African Summit scheduled to commence on April 22.
"The community is expected to accelerate the use of renewable
energy for nations in Asia and Africa. Should this be a success,
millions of poor people will have the ability to access such
energy at an affordable cost," said Susilo.
Susilo hoped the upcoming Asian-African Summit would result in
cooperation among participating countries to seriously develop
the use of renewable energy, as well as reducing dependency on
conventional energy sources -- such as oil, gas and coal.
"Asian-African countries should not lag behind nations in
other continents. I do hope that our solidarity will strengthen
cooperation in the sector of energy, and together we can
alleviate poverty by providing low-cost energy resources," he
said.
Renewable energy sources that are planned to be developed by
Asian-African nations include solar, hydro, geothermal, wind, and
vegetable oil and animal fat.
"As resources of conventional energy are declining, more and
more nations are involved in disputes over the possession of
resource-rich areas located along their borders.
"This is the other risk of being heavily dependent on
conventional energy," said Susilo.
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo
Yusgiantoro said the use of renewable energy in Indonesia would
account at least 5 percent of total energy resources by 2020,
with most being in the form of geothermal and solar power.
"Indonesia is now preparing a blueprint for the use of
renewable energy until 2020. We expect to use 5 percent of our
energy supply from renewable sources and gradually increase such
use in following years," he said.
According to Purnomo, in terms of geothermal energy,
Indonesia's accounts for about 40 percent of the world's
potential, as the country is located on the so called "ring of
fire".
However, he said, there were still several barriers to the
development of renewable energy here in Indonesia, such as high
investment costs, limited incentives and funding and lack of
knowledge.
Subsidized domestic fuel prices are also impede the use and
development of renewable energy, as it is currently more
economically to use diesel fuel to produce energy than to use
renewable energy.
Purnomo hoped that new technologies and inventions could lead
to the construction of more power plants using renewable energy
in remote areas.
Rendi A. Witular and Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Amid the decline in conventional energy resources and rising
global pollution, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono suggested on
Monday that nations from Asia and Africa initiate the use of
renewable energy resources.
Speaking to participants at the Asian-African Symposium on
Renewable Energy, Susilo said there was a need to form a joint
community between countries in Asia and Africa to support the use
and development of renewable energy.
The symposium, along with the Regional Congress and Exhibition
on Renewable Energy, are being held in conjunction with the
upcoming Asian-African Summit scheduled to commence on April 22.
"The community is expected to accelerate the use of renewable
energy for nations in Asia and Africa. Should this be a success,
millions of poor people will have the ability to access such
energy at an affordable cost," said Susilo.
Susilo hoped the upcoming Asian-African Summit would result in
cooperation among participating countries to seriously develop
the use of renewable energy, as well as reducing dependency on
conventional energy sources -- such as oil, gas and coal.
"Asian-African countries should not lag behind nations in
other continents. I do hope that our solidarity will strengthen
cooperation in the sector of energy, and together we can
alleviate poverty by providing low-cost energy resources," he
said.
Renewable energy sources that are planned to be developed by
Asian-African nations include solar, hydro, geothermal, wind, and
vegetable oil and animal fat.
"As resources of conventional energy are declining, more and
more nations are involved in disputes over the possession of
resource-rich areas located along their borders.
"This is the other risk of being heavily dependent on
conventional energy," said Susilo.
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo
Yusgiantoro said the use of renewable energy in Indonesia would
account at least 5 percent of total energy resources by 2020,
with most being in the form of geothermal and solar power.
"Indonesia is now preparing a blueprint for the use of
renewable energy until 2020. We expect to use 5 percent of our
energy supply from renewable sources and gradually increase such
use in following years," he said.
According to Purnomo, in terms of geothermal energy,
Indonesia's accounts for about 40 percent of the world's
potential, as the country is located on the so called "ring of
fire".
However, he said, there were still several barriers to the
development of renewable energy here in Indonesia, such as high
investment costs, limited incentives and funding and lack of
knowledge.
Subsidized domestic fuel prices are also impede the use and
development of renewable energy, as it is currently more
economically to use diesel fuel to produce energy than to use
renewable energy.
Purnomo hoped that new technologies and inventions could lead
to the construction of more power plants using renewable energy
in remote areas.