DPR Warns Bahlil on 10 Percent Ethanol: Prevent Imports

KatadataOTO – Regulations regarding a 10 percent ethanol (E10) blend in fuel oil (BBM) continue to be discussed. Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), will implement the policy in the near future.

This has prompted many parties to voice their opinions. Including from members of Commission XII of the DPR RI.

According to them, there are several things that must be considered. Such as the domestic ethanol production capacity.

Is it truly capable of meeting the demand before the program is implemented nationally.

Photo : Pertamina

"I support E10 as a step towards clean energy. But this policy should not open up new avenues for imports," said Ratna Juwita, a member of Commission XII of the DPR RI, as reported by Antara on Thursday (09/10).

Ratna is pushing for the acceleration of the construction of a large-scale bioethanol plant in Bojonegoro, East Java.

She believes the capacity of existing plants is still far from sufficient to meet the demand for ethanol as a fuel blend.

"The plant in Bojonegoro must be a national priority. It shouldn't just be a groundbreaking, but it must operate soon to cover the ethanol supply deficit," Ratna stated.

The DPR RI member explained that without the plant in Bojonegoro, the E10 target will be difficult to achieve without imports.

For your information, according to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the installed national ethanol production capacity in 2024 reaches about 303 thousand kiloliters (kL) per year, with actual production realization at only about 161 thousand kL.

However, if the E10 program is fully implemented, the national ethanol demand is estimated to reach 890 thousand kL per year, or about 890 million liters.

"This means there is still a gap of more than 700 thousand kL that needs to be filled by increasing domestic production capacity," Ratna emphasized.

Seeing this fact, the government must pay special attention before implementing E10 nationally.

She stressed that energy independence can only be achieved if the entire ethanol production chain, from raw materials to distribution, is fully controlled by domestic industry.

Photo : Special

"Green energy policies must have an impact on increasing national capacity, not strengthening import dependency. The government must learn from the biodiesel experience, where industry readiness was the key to success," she concluded.

It should be noted that ethanol is generally used as a blend with fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel in various types of engines.

However, it is mixed in varying ratios, depending on the policies and vehicle specifications in each country.