G20 Energy Ministers: Biofuels are Vital in Transition to Clean Energy

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE

NUMBER: 282.Pers/04/SJI/2020

Date: 30 September 2020

G20 Energy Ministers: Biofuels are Vital in Transition to Clean Energy

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) Arifin Tasrif attended the second day of the G20 Energy Ministers' Meeting. The meeting succeeded in reaching the G20 Energy Ministers Joint Communique and agreeing on documents related to the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Platform.

In the joint communique, the G20 Energy Ministers acknowledged that the current crisis, besides creating direct impacts on health, economy and society, has caused the destabilization of the global energy market. They also noted the disproportionate effect the pandemic has produced on the most vulnerable people and communities which underlines the need to ensure that efforts to recover the energy sector leave no one behind.

Therefore, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed on the importance of international cooperation in ensuring the resilience of energy system that benefits all.

"We emphasize that the direct challenges posed by the pandemic have not dampened our determination to advance our efforts by exploring various options and using various technologies and fuels according to the national context to ensure a stable and uninterrupted supply of energy to achieve economic growth," point four of the Joint Communique read.

In the CCE Platform document, the G20 Energy Minister agreed that biofuels are one of the important components to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through technology and innovation ("reduce" element) and neutralize carbon emissions through natural processes and decomposition ("recycle" element).

Regarding the use of biofuels, Indonesia is making efforts to build national energy self-sufficiency and sovereignty by encouraging the increased use of biofuels. One successful innovation is the implementation of 30% Biodiesel (B30) in the transportation sector, which is estimated to reduce emissions by 16.9 million tonnes of CO2e.

"The biodiesel utilization program is a concrete form of Indonesia's active participation in reducing global GHG emissions," said Mr. Tasrif.

Additionally, Indonesia has also invented an effective catalyst for the production process of petroleum fractions (types of formation) and palm oil or green fuels at Pertamina's refineries, called Katalis Merah Putih (the red and white catalyst).

Biofuels and hydrogen are believed to play a unique role in accelerating the transition to cleaner energy systems in the future and supporting economic growth. "We also note the cross-sectoral role of bioenergy and biofuels among the four elements in the CCE," as affirmed in the G20 Energy Ministers communique.

The CCE Platform has 4 elements. The first element is "reduce", meaning the efforts to reduce GHG emissions by utilizing technology and innovation. The second element is "reuse", which refers to reusing carbon emissions and making them industrial raw materials. The third element is "recycle", which is the process of neutralizing carbon emissions through natural processes and decomposition. The fourth element is "remove", namely removing emissions from the atmosphere, heavy industry, and public facilities through carbon capture and storage.

In closing, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed to promote a transition to clean energy with a wider range of options, technologies and fuels suitable to the conditions and situations of each country. (IY)

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