Event aims to provide sustainable energy solutions in regards to residues from the agriculture and food-producing industries.
Over 100 participants, both from the public and private sector, attended a German-Indonesian Business Forum on 鈥淏iomass Utilization: Sustainable energy solutions from residues from the agricultural and food-producing industry鈥� on April 9, 2019, at the Ayana Midplaza Jakarta.
Held by EKONID, in cooperation with Renewable Energy Academy (RENAC) and with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the forum saw experts from both Germany and Indonesia discussing the latest technologies and solutions in utilizing biomass 鈥� a seldom mentioned yet highly potential industry within Indonesia鈥檚 energy sector.
Indonesia is known to possess the world鈥檚 second largest supply of renewable energy, according to the World Bioenergy Association 鈥� at 34.3%, just below Brazil at 39% and above India at 25.4%. Meanwhile, the world continues to inch move closer in favor of renewable energy. By the end of 2018, a third of the global power capacity are based on renewable energy, according to a report from the International Energy Agency.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's ever-growing energy demand and the government's goal of obtaining 23% of its energy from renewable energy sources by 2025, drive the development of renewable energy plants forward. In addition to small biomass plants for the private use, the market for larger commercial plants is starting to develop in Indonesia, opening up a potential operating field for foreign companies.
In this regard, Indonesia has a comparative advantage for bioenergy production, according to Mr. Trois Silisusendi, Head of the Bioenergy Preparation Program at the Indonesian Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy, who was a speaker at the forum. Mr. Silisusendi also noted however that Indonesia has still a long way to go before fully utilizing its total potential for biomass.
鈥淏ased on our survey, we are blessed with huge potential that come from palm oil, corn, cassava, wood, cow dung and MSW [Municipal Solid Waste] to generate electricity up to 32 GW. But, currently we have a total of 1.85 GW. This number is still far from the total potential that we have also from our target of reaching 5.5 GW by 2025,鈥� he said.
Mr. Bernd Wollwerth, Head of Division Solar Energy and Rural Electrification at RENAC, who was also a speaker at the event, agreed on the potential of bioenergy in Indonesia, citing the country鈥檚 bountiful agricultural residues. He hoped that more German companies would cooperate with Indonesian companies to drive this industry forward.
鈥淭he technologies are there, they are reliable and working, there is no further in-depth research that is necessary to be conducted. So I believe that German companies can definitely support the Indonesian market and partners with the technologies to create new markets and to produce as much bioenergy as possible,鈥� said Mr. Wollwerth.
In order to drive this perspective forward, EKONID also organized a B2B meeting for the participants of the biomass event. Following the one-day forum, EKONID facilitated site visits and business meetings between German and Indonesian companies who operate in the field of bioenergy. The two-day B2B meeting was held from April 10 to 11, 2019.
German companies that participated in this business forum were: Aprovis Energy System GmbH, Maxxtec GmbH, Carbonauten GmbH, Envitec Anlagenbau GmbH & Co.KG, Planet Biogas Global GmbH, Werner Droppstadt Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co.KG, Emka Energie GmbH, and Classen Aparatnbau Wiesloch GmbH.