Jumat, 17 Oktober 2014

CPO EXPECTED TO SUPPORT GOVT BIOFUEL PROGRAM

By Andi Abdussalam  
          Jakarta, Oct 17 (Antara) - With the depletion of its fossil fuel reserves and increasing world calls for a clean environment, Indonesia is launching a biofuel mix program, as part of its efforts to turn towards eco-friendly energy.
         In carrying out this program, the government has been putting in place a 10-percent biofuel mix of fuel oil called B10. Biofuel mix is to be increased to 20 percent in 2016 when the biofuel mix is expected to reach 8 million kiloliters.
         To support this program, the government is using crude palm oil (CPO) as raw material in the 10 percent biofuel mix. This program is also aimed at reducing fuel imports.
         The government is set to increase the biofuel mix target to 30 percent in the future, if the B10 and B20 programs are successful in 2014 and 2016. "If we have enough time, we can introduce higher biodiesel blends. With uncertain prices at present, we can best allocate a substantial amount (of CPO for the mixture program)," Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi said recently.
         This program also offers a sales guarantee to the country's CPO domestic industry. Thus, domestic palm oil industries have the chance to expand their businesses.

 
         However, a palm oil watch organization has suggested that CPO-based biofuel production should be developed to include small farmers in rural villages. 
    According to the Working Group of Palm Oil Alliance for Prosperous Villages (POAPV), the government needs to develop smallholder-based biofuel alternative energy that benefits small-scale farmers.

         The idea is that this program should be conducted fairly across the country to produce massive alternative energy for the benefit of farmers, with CPO being the main raw material.
         "It is good for the government to promote smallholder-based biofuel energy development, which will provide us with sustainable, eco-friendly fuel," the alliance's working group coordinator, Ahmad Surambo, stated on Friday.
         He pointed out that the government should formulate a system and technology for its process, which can be managed by the people, so that small-scale farmers can enjoy the benefits.  
    "I think the government should create an appropriate technology and system that could be owned by many people and be managed directly by the farmers," he remarked.

         Currently, the palm oil business is controlled by large-scale plantation owners, who have shown great interest in supplying oil for alternative energy.
         "If the biofuel business is controlled by capital owners, it is just the same as harming the interests of small farmers," he pointed out.
         He further expressed hope that the government could empower the people in managing alternative energy. If this business can be successfully carried out by small farmers, then it could create smallholder-based energy technology businesses in villages, which will be capable of producing their own energy.
         "The alternative energy industry should no longer be developed in cities but, instead, in villages, so that its growth in the country would be equitable," Ahmad emphasized.
         Based on the government's data, Indonesia's energy consumption needs in 2010 reached the equivalent of 3.3 million barrels of oil per day.  It is expected that in the next 15 years, Indonesia's energy requirements will increase to 7.7 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. This will boost the development of the palm oil industry at home.
         Moreover, according to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the palm oil industry is more efficient and competitive, as compared to other industries, as it offers high productivity at the lowest price.
         "The palm oil industry is more efficient in using land, as compared to other industries, which needs about eight to 10 times more land area for producing the same volume of oil," Kadin Chairman for Agribusiness and Food Affairs Franky O. Widjaja remarked on Thursday.
         Palm oil plantations are identical to forests, which absorb CO2 and reduce carbon emissions, thereby improving the environment.  "One hectare of palm oil plantation can absorb 60 tons of carbon per annum," he claimed.
         He noted that a palm oil plantation can absorb 36.5 tons of dry matter per hectare per year, as compared to a rain forest that only absorbs some 25.7 tons per hectare, and as a result, palm oil plantations are more efficient in rejuvenating the atmosphere.
        "The 10 million hectares of palm oil plantations in the country reduce damage to forests. This offers traditional farmers an opportunity to become permanent plantation palm farmers," he stated.
         Moreover, he said, the use of CPO as biodiesel fuel can reduce the state expenditure by US$2.43 billion. "The state expenditure could be economized by using CPO as biodiesel, since the state will reduce its imports of diesel oil by 28.6 percent," Franky O. Widjaja stated.
         The other benefit derived from the use of CPO as biodiesel fuel is that the country will receive exit taxes worth some Rp25 trillion per year.
         Besides this, the government will also receive Rp10 trillion in land and building taxes, Rp10 trillion in corporate tax, and Rp4 trillion in motor vehicle police registration number (STNK) taxes.
        "The other income it could contribute directly or indirectly includes an average of 200 cubic meters of palm oil logs per hectare that can be harvested at their recycling age," he added.
         Currently, Indonesia has 10 million hectares of palm oil plantations. Of this total, some eight percent are managed by state companies, 49 percent by private CPO industries, and the remaining percentage belongs to small farmers.
         Franky pointed out that the utilization of CPO as an energy source has yet to reach its optimal level, as the people, palm oil farmers in particular, still lack the understanding of processing CPO into a renewable energy product.
       "Oil palm plantations could serve as a regional and international economic power in the agricultural sector through various innovations and breakthroughs by the government and the private sector," he added
    In the meantime, Nus Zuzulia Ishak, director general of export development of the trade ministry, has said the prospect of CPO in the global market remained bright, although the price of the oil was now declining.

        "I believe the price will improve and become better in the future, so that we have to prepare market penetration," Nus Nuzulia Ishak was quoted as saying by Tempo.co on Sept. 4, 2014.
         He stated that in 2013, the world's CPO import had reached US$42.7 billion. Of that amount, Indonesia had contributed some US$17.3 billion, or about 43.68 percent of the global requirement, while Malaysia had supplied US$14.9 billion, or about 36.4 percent.
         He noted that Indonesian producers had set a production target of 33 million tons of CPO in 2015, or an increase of 9 million tons from the estimated production this year.***2***

(T.A014/INE/H-YH)

(T.SYS/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 17-10-2014 21:49:3

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar