Indonesia to triple biomass consumption in ’24

Indonesia aims to reduce emissions by tripling its use of biomass for power generation to 2.83 million metric tonnes in 2024 from 991,000 tonnes last year, an energy ministry official told Reuters on Thursday.

Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of thermal coal, was one of the top carbon emitters in the world in 2023, with fossil fuels making up 67 per cent of the energy mix in power generation.

“We have sufficient coal, but this is an effort to phase down coal plants and reduce its carbon dioxide emission,” Jisman Parada Hutajulu, a senior official at the energy ministry stated to reporters.

Woodchips, rice husks, and palm kernel waste will make up the remaining biomass, with sawdust accounting for nearly one-third of it.

According to ministry data, 47 coal-fired power plants this year—up from 43 power plants last year—are anticipated to blend between 3 per cent and 5 per cent biomass into their fuel.

Up to 10 per cent of the biomass blend can theoretically be used by coal-fired power plants without requiring major modifications, Hutajulu added.