Jakarta—PT Pertamina (Persero) seeks to use sorghum as an alternative raw material for bioethanol production to promote energy self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on fuel imports, the company said in a statement on Thursday, October 24. The crop, known for its many benefits, has the potential to be a renewable energy solution without triggering conflict between the food and energy sectors.
PT Pertamina’s Senior Vice President (SVP) of Innovation Technology, Oki Muraza, emphasised that sorghum offers advantages over other bioethanol feedstocks, such as sugarcane, which often triggers conflicts because it is also used in food production, especially sugar. “Sorghum does not face conflicts between food and energy needs. The grain can be processed into food such as flour or sorghum rice as an alternative to wheat, while the stalks are utilised to produce bioethanol,” Oki said.
By utilising sorghum, Pertamina hopes to strengthen food security while reducing wheat and fuel imports. “This can run in parallel. We reduce wheat imports by producing food from sorghum, and on the other hand, we reduce fuel imports with bioethanol from its stems,” Oki added.
Pertamina is running a pilot project for sorghum cultivation in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). Geospatial data is used to determine suitable land for sorghum farming. Oki acknowledged that sorghum cultivation in Indonesia still needs to be more optimal, so it needs to be further encouraged to meet the energy industry’s needs.
With this pilot project, Pertamina hopes to create a model that can be replicated in various other regions. “Hopefully, sorghum production from this pilot project can be orchestrated so that the grain is used as food while the stalks are processed into bioethanol,” he explained.
Pertamina also sees great opportunities to export sorghum agricultural products. According to Oki, sorghum development helps achieve energy self-sufficiency and contributes to efforts to reduce food imports, particularly wheat.
Pertamina’s move aligns with the Indonesian government’s efforts to accelerate the energy transition towards renewable energy. Pertamina’s sorghum cultivation project in NTB is expected to be one of the main pillars in boosting bioethanol production in Indonesia and accelerating the transition to green energy.
With the potential of sorghum as a bioethanol feedstock, Indonesia has a great opportunity to not only meet domestic energy needs but also take a bigger role in the global renewable energy market. “The utilisation of sorghum can be an important breakthrough in supporting the energy transition in Indonesia, with dual benefits for the food and energy sectors,” Oki concluded. (Hartatik)
