The Indonesian Government is planning to issue a new rule to maximizethe usage and production of renewable energy, including bio-energy, asan alternative to fossil fuels.

Rida Mulyana, director generalfor renewable energy and energy conservation under Indonesia’sEnergy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said under the new rule, whichwill replace the ministry’s existing 2008 regulation on bio-fuel, themanagement of bio-fuel and bio-diesel production activities will behanded over to the directorate general of renewable energy and energyconservation. This is currently the responsibility of the Ministry’s oiland gas directorate general.

The state will enhance managementfor domestic companies’ bio-ethanol production in order to furtherpromote bio-energy development in the country, he added.

Dataprovided by Indonesia ’s National Energy Council (DEN) showed thatthe country still relies on oil to meet 44 percent of its energy needs,while gas accounts for 23 percent; coal, 27 percent and renewableenergy, only 6 percent.

In its long-term energy developmentstrategy to 2050, the Indonesian Government set a target of changing theabove-mentioned proportion into 30 percent for renewable energy, 26percent for coal, 24 percent for natural gas and 20 percent for oil.

According to DEN, in order to attain the target, renewable energy useshould account for at least 23 percent of total energy consumption in2025, while coal, natural gas and oil amounts to 25, 22 and 30 percent,respectively.-VNA