If the state-owned electricity company (PLN) implements a 5.0 percent co-firing policy on its 16 steam-powered electricity plants, and then the required land area is only 189,000 hectares.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia’s Java Island has potential dry land to produce biomass of up to 961,000 hectares, Director of the Research Center for Bioenergy and Surfactants at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Meika Syahbana Rusli has said.

"In general, the potential for biomass can be obtained from agricultures and plantations," Meika said in a statement quoted here on Friday (July 1), according to Antara news agency.

If the state-owned electricity company (PLN) implements a 5.0 percent co-firing policy on its 16 steam-powered electricity plants, and then the required land area is only 189,000 hectares.

Meanwhile, if the percentage is increased to 10 percent or around 379,000 hectares, it means that the land areas are still sufficient for biomass development.

Co-firing technology is aimed at reducing carbon emissions in coal-fired power plants.

The wide expanse of dry land on Java island is the main capital to develop the cultivation of energy sources as the main raw material for biomass in energy substitution programs.

Meika pointed out that the source of biomass energy from palm oil waste in Riau province can reach 20 million tons.

In Java, according to him, the agricultural land that produces straw and husks also has the potential to be used as an energy source.

He suggested that the government and PLN involve people’s participation in an effort to meet the challenge of meeting energy needs from renewable energy sources such as biomass.

Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry show that the categories of community plantation forest, community forest, and village forest alone have enough potential to produce biomass.

Without taking into account other forest management categories such as natural forest, utilization permits for social forestry, and forestry partnerships, the potential land for biomass reaches 572,000 hectares.

In order to obtain sufficient sources of biomass, Meika said, people could participate in cultivating energy source plants such as Calliandra (small leguminous tree), Gliricidia, river tamarind, Albizia chinensis, and others.

IPB has conducted a feasibility and economic analysis on the potential of timber plantation and selling which is considered competitive.

However, he added, government policies or support mechanisms are needed to implement co-firing with biomass.

Meika gave an example, Japan and South Korea, even though they do not have sufficient biomass sources, are able to develop biomass energy by imports supported by their national policies.

"North America, Brazil and Australia are not able to do it because of inadequate government supports. So, biomass development can be developed if there is policy supports and incentives," he said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window