The Indonesian Government is planning to issue a new rule to maximize the usage and production of renewable energy, including bio-energy, as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Rida Mulyana, director general for renewable energy and energy conservation under Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said under the new rule, which will replace the ministry’s existing 2008 regulation on bio-fuel, the management of bio-fuel and bio-diesel production activities will be handed over to the directorate general of renewable energy and energy conservation. This is currently the responsibility of the Ministry’s oil and gas directorate general.

The state will enhance management for domestic companies’ bio-ethanol production in order to further promote bio-energy development in the country, he added.

Data provided by Indonesia ’s National Energy Council (DEN) showed that the country still relies on oil to meet 44 percent of its energy needs, while gas accounts for 23 percent; coal, 27 percent and renewable energy, only 6 percent.

In its long-term energy development strategy to 2050, the Indonesian Government set a target of changing the above-mentioned proportion into 30 percent for renewable energy, 26 percent for coal, 24 percent for natural gas and 20 percent for oil.

According to DEN, in order to attain the target, renewable energy use should account for at least 23 percent of total energy consumption in 2025, while coal, natural gas and oil amounts to 25, 22 and 30 percent, respectively.-VNA