ASEAN

Play your role to reduce reliance on fuel oil, says minister

JAKARTA: Indonesian citizens need to play a role in reducing reliance on fuel oil and shift to alternative energy sources.

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister, Erick Thohir said this was because fuel subsidies provided by the government impacts the state budget, according to Antara news.

In an interview here on Wednesday, Erick said the growing population, at 273 million currently, also affects fuel consumption along with demands from the petrochemical industry which requires crude oil to produce goods such as plastic and clothes.

"With these circumstances, like it or not, we have to start to be efficient in imports and reduce our dependency on fuel oil," Thohir said after visiting the Pertamina Integrated Enterprise Data and Command Centre (PIEDCC).

On top of that, Indonesia is also no longer a part of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since it started importing fuel oil in 2003.

The blueprint that the government has promoted as part of the program for fossil fuels to alternative energy-based transition, includes increasing the utilisation of electric motorcycles, cars, and induction cookers.

The government is also encouraging solutions wherein fuel oil can be mixed with materials from palm oil to make biodiesel products.

Currently, Indonesia has a new renewable energy mix target of 23 percent in 2025.

VThe programme aligns with the Indonesian government's commitment to building a cleaner and sustainable energy system by reducing emissions by up to 29 percent by 2030.

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