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Government introduces B100 biofuel for cars, tractors

The Agriculture Ministry has developed B100 biofuel, which is made of palm oil, in an effort to boost domestic crude palm oil (CPO) consumption amid resistance from the European Union

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Wed, April 17, 2019

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Government introduces B100 biofuel for cars, tractors

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span>The Agriculture Ministry has developed B100 biofuel, which is made of palm oil, in an effort to boost domestic crude palm oil (CPO) consumption amid resistance from the European Union.

Experts lauded the achievement but said it was too early for automakers to produce vehicles that could run on the environmentally friendly biofuel.

Speaking after a trial run of 50 cars and tractors using the biofuel in Jakarta, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaeman said automakers should produce agricultural vehicles that could run on the biofuel, which was developed by the ministry's research and development arm.

Amran said the ministry would focus on developing it for the agricultural sector.

"This year, I will ask producers of tractors to make adjustments in the engines of their products so that they can run on B100 biofuel," he added.

The government issued a policy to begin the use of biofuel with 20 percent palm oil content (B20 biofuel) in September last year and will soon campaign for the use of biofuel with 30 percent palm oil content (B30 biofuel) before using biofuel purely made from palm oil (B100 biofuel) The policy intended to reduce reliance on diesel imports has pushed automobile producers to adjust their products so that they can be compatible with B20 biofuel.

A researcher with the ministry, Asif Aunillah, said such adjustments were necessary because producers made engines that were only compatible with diesel. "In cars, for example, the rubber seals would usually enlarge when they are in contact with biodiesel. So they need to be modified," he added.

Amran said the biofuel would be more beneficial than regular diesel fuel. He added that it was more efficient, allowing for vehicles to travel for 13.1 kilometers per liter, saying vehicles using diesel only traveled for 9.6 km per liter.

The ministry's research and development arm is currently developing a multifunctional biodiesel reactor, which can process 1,600 liters of raw material daily. Amran said he had begun talks with state-owned enterprises and private companies with regards to the mass production of the biofuel.

He estimated that the commercial price would be around Rp 8,000 (57 US cents) per liter, which is higher than the price of subsidized diesel, known as Solar, which costs Rp 5,150.

"Users of B100 biofuel can also help protect the environment, because it produces less pollution than diesel," he said. According to the ministry, it only emits half of the carbon monoxide produced by Solar-branded fossil fuels.

Amran expressed hope that the planned use of the biofuel would lower the import of fossil fuels and boost the domestic use of CPO.

Energy Watch executive director Mamit Setiawan lauded the ministry's efforts. However, he argued that it was too early for producers to adapt to the biofuel.

Mamit suggested that the country’s shift from fossil fuel to biodiesel should be done in stages by taking into account the readiness of producers and consumers.

"Some producers still object to the B20 policy. I think the shift to biodiesel should be gradual, from B20 and B30 to B100, and so on, to prevent similar objections in the future," Mamit said.

He added that producers would need time to do their research because biodiesel contained a lot of water, which could cause sedimentation.

Consequently, consumers would have to spend more money to maintain their engines, he said.

Mamit added that the government should also ensure that the biodiesel should have a firm footing in the market, because it lasted for a certain period of time, unless the government discovered a way to store it for a long time. (ars)

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