Greenhouse Gas Emissions from B20 Palm Oil Farmers on Peatland Exceed Those of Solar

Based on research by Traction Energy Asia, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from B20 biodiesel produced by palm oil farmers on peatland are higher than those of diesel fuel, which has emissions of 3.14 kgCO2eq./liter. This finding is included in a report published in 2019 titled "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Biodiesel Production in Indonesia Based on Life Cycle Analysis" [link: https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2019/11/20/sawit-sebagai-salah-satu-pendorong-naiknya-emisi-gas-rumah-kaca].

The report shows that B20 emissions from Asian Agri, an independent palm oil farmer in Riau and West Kalimantan whose palm oil originates from peatland, exceed 3.14 kgCO2 eq./liter. Asian Agri's B20 emissions amounted to 4.11 kgCO2 eq./liter, while its biodiesel emissions reached 8.01 kgCO2 eq./liter. Similarly, B20 emissions from independent farmers (peatland) in West Kalimantan and Riau are above diesel emissions, at 6.08 kgCO2 eq./liter and 7.09 kgCO2 eq./liter respectively. The high B20 emissions from independent farmers on peatland are due to the inclusion of deforestation for palm oil plantations in the calculation.

Meanwhile, B20 emissions per liter, where the palm oil component is produced from mineral soil, from both independent farmers in Riau and West Kalimantan and palm oil companies, are below diesel emissions, as shown in the graph. Similarly, B20 emissions from Wilmar, a palm oil company whose palm oil comes from peatland, are also below diesel emissions, at only 3.12 kgCO2eq./liter.