In a significant development for Indonesia's energy future, it is estimated that the nation could generate a staggering 56.97 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from one of its green treasures – bioenergy. Ego Syahrial, Special Staff to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) for Accelerating the Transition to Energy and Energy Infrastructure Development, emphasized the vast potential of bioenergy in Indonesia as a future energy source. Bioenergy has the potential to replace fossil fuels in nearly all sectors, including transportation, electricity generation, industry, and households. The utilization of bioenergy, especially biomass products, could serve as a superior energy source, increasing electrification rates and contributing to national energy security.
“Indonesia possesses an immense biomass energy potential, equivalent to 56.97 GW of electricity. By 2060, Indonesia is set to build over 700 GW of renewable energy capacity, with 60 GW coming from bioenergy power plants,” stated Ego, citing an official statement from the Ministry of ESDM on Friday (October 6, 2023).
Ego further explained that apart from using biomass for power generation, these resources would be optimized through a biomass co-firing program to be blended into existing Steam Power Plants (SPP). Co-firing has been in practice since 2020, with blending rates ranging from 1% to 15%, depending on the type of boiler and the availability of raw materials.
“Biomass co-firing will be implemented in 113 SPP units owned by PLN in 52 locations, with a total capacity of 18,664 MW, using various biomass sources such as sawdust, wood chips, and palm oil waste, with blending rates of 5-15%,” Ego explained.
The primary objectives of jointly burning biomass with coal in existing SPP facilities are to enhance the economics of electricity supply, increase the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and expedite the “greening” of SPP facilities.
“In 2023, co-firing will be applied in 42 locations. This project can generate 2,740 GWh of environmentally friendly energy and consume 2.2 million tons of biomass,” he added.
As of the first half of 2023, co-firing has been implemented in 36 locations, producing 325 GWh of green energy and reducing emissions by 321 ktCO2.
The total biomass used for electricity generation is 306 kilotons. To support the development of co-firing, the Ministry of ESDM is currently finalizing ministerial regulations on the implementation of co-firing in existing SPP facilities. This transformative initiative promises to significantly reshape Indonesia's energy landscape towards a greener and more sustainable future.
