Indonesia to experiment use of bioethanol fuel

The government will starts making experiment of ethanol at a ratio of 2 percent in a mixture with oil as non subsidized fuel for four wheel vehicles.

"The government is encouraging the experiment of two percent ethanol (E2) under which supply (of the ethanol) is feasible," Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arcandra Tahar said here on Tuesday.

The experiment should have started with ethanol content of 5 percent but supply of ethanol is not guaranteed, therefore, the experiment has to start with 2 percent content of ethanol, Arcandra said.

He said gradually the content would be raised to 5 percent.

Based on a regulation of the ESDM Minister No 12 of 2015 the minimum requirement to use bioethanol with ethanol content of 2 percent for non subsidized fuel should have been effective as from April 2015, and in January 2016, the content was to be increased to 5 percent.

However, experiment could start only in 2018 with an ethanol content of two percent.

The highest ethanol content in bioethanol is set at 20 percent is to be reached in January 2025.

Meanwhile the ESDM Ministry will continue studies already started in 2017 on the use of Bidiesel-20 (B-20) for railway fuel, and study on the use of Biodiesel-30 (B-30) for land transport vehicles other than railway in 2018.

"The studies have been wrapped up but there is still field test now being prepared for land transport vehicles other than railway," Arcandra said.

He said time is needed for the change in the use from the B-20 to B-30 fuel. In additio9n, the experiment continues that the use of the B-30 fuel for land transport vehicles would meet problem.

He also said implementation of the B-30 fuel program is pending the solution of problem met in the use of B-20 fuel .

"We have yet to test B-20 for railways . We will see if the B-20 fuel comply with present railway system," he said

Source: ANTARA