TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Rini Soemarno said that within the next three years Indonesia was targeted to increase the content of biofuel in diesel fuel as an energy alternative. If the content is now only 20 percent or Biodiesel 20 (B20), in 2022, diesel fuel will be completely replaced with biofuel B100.

“The source is not only CPE (Crude Palm Oil) but also bagasse,” said Rini when met at the SOE Ministry building, Monday, February 18.

To support the plan, state-owned gas and oil company Pertamina is currently building an additional oil refinery to process B20 into B100 in Plaju, Palembang, South Sumatra.

Read: Minister Rini to Convert Oil Refinery into Biodiesel

Rini made the statement to support the promise of President Joko Widodo during the second presidential debate on Sunday evening, February 17, at Sultan Hotel, Central Jakarta.

“We plan to actualize B100, so 30 percent of total production of palm oil in Indonesia becomes biofuel. This is already a rigid, clear program, so we will not depend on fuel import,” said Jokowi.

Read: Govt to Expand the Use of Biodiesel 20

The regulation of biofuel, however, was imposed amid criticism from a number of experts. Greenpeace Indonesia head Leonard Simanjuntak said that Indonesia should have stopped such extractive industries, both palm oil and coal. Several environmental organizations have also continued to slam the palm oil industry for causing land damages and wildfires in the country.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO