APINDOSU VICE CHAIRMAN USLI SARSI : BIOETHANOL FUEL SUPPORTS ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
13 June 2023
Deputy Chairman of the North Sumatra Association of Indonesian Entrepreneurs (Apindosu) in the field of plantations and agriculture, Usli Sarsi appreciated PT Pertamina's (Persero) plan to launch a new type of fuel oil (BBM) mixed with firstx with vegetable ethanol (bioethanol) this June.
By mixing firstx with vegetable ethanol, said Usli, who was contacted by telephone recently, explaining that the price of sugar cane, corn, cassava commodities will certainly improve because Demand will continue to rise, because it is used as green energy. Farmers will be more prosperous because the price of agricultural commodities is getting more expensive.
With fossil fuels running out, this will have an impact on energy availability. Meanwhile, energy needs continue to increase. To anticipate the scarcity of fossil fuels, it is necessary to find alternative fuels. Fuel derived from plants is the answer to meet energy needs when compared to other energy sources such as geothermal, sunlight, wind, water and so on.
“As an agricultural country, Indonesia has the opportunity to produce the largest biofuel in the world,” said Usli.
Indonesia has the largest palm oil plantation in the world. Palm oil products, which have been mostly used to produce cooking oil, have now been developed into biodiesel. As much as 35 percent of diesel fuel has been mixed with palm oil. This will continue to be developed until diesel fuel is 100 percent palm oil-based.
Now agricultural commodities are being processed into fuel. That means diesel fuel and firstx are gradually shifting from fossil to plant-based.
Usli said, the new type of fuel mixed with bioethanol that will be used comes from sugar cane molasses. Besides sugar cane, bioethanol can also be made from cassava and corn.
“The bioethanol fuel policy is very good, because it is an environmentally friendly renewable energy that can reduce carbon emissions. In addition, the most important thing is to realize energy independence in Indonesia,” he said.