Indonesia plans to increase biomass utilisation

Indonesia is expected to achieve near decarbonisation by 2050 by utilising renewables such as biomass, as well as co-firing coal with biomass, according to a long-term projection by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The country will have 13GW of biomass and 23GW of biomass-coal co-firing installed power generation capacity connected to carbon capture and storage (CCS) by 2050, the UNFCCC said. Only a small amount of biomass energy was previously used in rural residential areas from 2000-19, according to the UNFCCC.

The report also pointed out that biomass-coal co-firing connected to CCS will play a crucial part in the country's greenhouse gas mitigation plans for the power sector, with securing a large amount of solid biomass supplies required.

Biomass-coal co-firing connected to CCS accounted for none of Indonesia's power mix in 2019, while renewables were at 16pc. The report projects biomass-coal co-firing connected to CCS will account for 8pc of the overall power mix by 2050, with renewables making up 43pc. Renewables include hydropower, geothermal, solar, biomass, biofuel and wind.

State-owned utility PLN implemented co-firing of biomass at 17 power plants as of June this year. There were 114 Indonesian power plants that completed test co-firing last year by substituting up to 10pc of coal with biomass pellets derived from all types of organic waste. Biomass raw materials can be processed waste, tree branches, leaves, rice husks, sawdust and grass.

Indonesia is Asia-Pacific's biggest palm kernel shell (PKS) exporter and the third-largest wood pellet exporter after Vietnam and Malaysia. It exported 3.17mn t of PKS and 311,000t of wood pellets in 2020.

By Sam Hong