Biodiesel Contribution to Renewable Energy Mix

Biodiesel is one of the transitional energy sources in increasing the renewable energy mix in Indonesia. The government has a target of 23 percent for the renewable energy mix (EBT) by 2025. By the end of 2020, the achievement was 11.5 percent.

Of that achievement, bioenergy contributed approximately 5.7 percent. This makes bioenergy the EBT with the highest contribution, followed by geothermal energy at 1.9 percent. The contribution of bioenergy sources comes from the utilization of biodiesel and bioenergy-based power plants. According to data from the Directorate of Bioenergy, biodiesel, through the implementation of B30, accounts for 35 percent of the overall renewable energy contribution.

"Biodiesel's role is approximately 35 percent of that achievement (11.5 percent EBT mix in 2020), that comes from biodiesel. By increasing blending (mixing), it is hoped that biodiesel's role can continue to increase in achieving EBT," explained Andriah Feby Misna in early 2021, while still serving as Director of Bioenergy at the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

In 2020, the absorption of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), which is a mixture of diesel fuel to form 30 percent biodiesel (B30), reached 8.4 million kiloliters (kl) and contributed to foreign exchange savings of Rp 38.04 trillion. The target is that by 2025, biodiesel utilization can reach 13.8 million kl.