G20 countries agree on biofuels role for clean energy transition

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The G20 Energy Ministers has agreed on a joint communique and the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Platform document at a virtual meeting held on Wednesday.

In the joint communique, the G20 Energy Ministers underscored that the current crisis, apart from having direct impacts on health, economy and society, has caused destabilization on the global energy market, a statement from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) stated received by Indonesia Window here on Wednesday .

The ministers also noted the pandemic has disturbed the most vulnerable people and communities, and underlined the need to ensure that energy sector recovery efforts leave no one behind.

Therefore, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed on the importance of international cooperation in ensuring energy system resilience that benefits all parties.

“We emphasize that the challenges posed by the pandemic have not dampened our determination to advance our efforts by exploring options and utilizing technologies and fuels according to the national context to ensure a stable and uninterrupted supply of energy to achieve economic growth,” according to the fourth point of the Joint Communique.

Meanwhile, in the CCE Platform document, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed that biofuel is one of the important components to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through technology and innovation, and neutralize carbon emissions through natural processes and decomposition.

Regarding the use of biofuels, Indonesia is making efforts to build national energy independence and sovereignty by promoting the use of biofuels.

One of the successful innovations is the implementation of B30 (biodiesel with a mixture of 30 percent) in the transportation sector, which is estimated to reduce emissions by 16.9 million tons of CO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide).

“This biodiesel program is an Indonesia’s active participation in reducing global GHG emissions,” Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif said.

Indonesia has also found an effective catalyst to produce petroleum fractions using palm oil at Pertamina’s (the National Oil and Gas Company) refineries.

Biofuels together with hydrogen are believed to play a unique role in accelerating the energy transition to clean energy systems in the future and supporting economic growth.

The joint communique also stated that the G20 Energy Minister affirmed the cross-sectoral role of bioenergy and biofuels is among the four elements in the CCE.

The CCE Platform has 4 elements.

The first element is reduce, which is an effort to reduce GHG emissions by utilizing technology and innovation.

The second element is reusing carbon emissions and making them into industrial raw materials.

The third element is recycle, which is the process of neutralizing carbon emissions through natural processes and decomposition.

The fourth element is removing emissions from the atmosphere and heavy industry through carbon capture and storage.

The G20 Energy Ministers agreed to promote clean energy transitions with a wider range of options, technologies and fuels in accordance with each country’s conditions and situations.

Reporting by Indonesia Window