Indonesia will gradually reduce the use of fossil energy and turn to renewable resources, according to the new National Energy Policy passed by the country’s parliament.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik, who is also acting Chairman of the National Energy Board, said the move serves as a basis for a national policy on ideal energy resources to be set forth in the future.

The use of fossil fuel, which at present accounts for 49 percent of the total energy mix, will be reduced to less than 25 percent in 2025, while the use of natural gas will be increased from 20 percent to at least 22 percent and 24 percent in 2025 and 2050, respectively.

The development of renewable energy sources such as solar, water, wind and biomass, will become the government’s priorities in the future with the target of raising the use of renewable energy to at least 23 percent in 2025 and 32 percent in 2050 from the current 6 percent.

The country is also taking into consideration the use of nuclear energy due to the fact that it takes around two years to build a 1,500-MW nuclear power plant, but seven years for a geothermal 55-MW one.-VNA