Indonesia to plant 1.2 MM hectares of sugar palm to make ethanol
Indonesia plans to plant sugar palm trees on an area of 1.2 MM hectares (2,965,264 MM acres) to produce ethanol to cut gasoline imports, in a project estimated to cost $6 B, its forestry minister said on Tuesday.
The plan is part of new President Prabowo Subianto's energy self-sufficiency drive. During last year's election campaign, Prabowo pledged to set a 10% mandatory bioethanol mix in gasoline by 2029.
The planned sugar palm plantation could produce 26 MM kilo liters of ethanol, with an estimated cost of around 100 T rupiah ($6.08 B), minister Raja Juli Antoni told reporters, adding that the project has been recently discussed with Prabowo.
"The president has been a fan of sugar palm trees for a long time because they can be used for energy and food security," the minister said, without providing details such as location nor funding.
($1 = 16,440 rupiah)
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