BPPT Launches Energy Outlook For 2013

Jakarta, Dec 9 (Antara) - The Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) has launched the Indonesian Energy Outlook 2013 that will underscore energy development to support the Transportation and Mineral Processing industries, its Chief said. BPPT Head Marzan A. Iskandar revealed on Monday that the BPPT had launched such an outlook five times as part of its efforts to provide answers to important issues with regards to the energy challenges of the future. He said that the assumption of energy needs and its development had continued to change. This trend had always burdened the state budget because of swelling subsidies, which was why the government had continued to encourage the development and use of alternative energies. Yet, efforts to maximize the use of alternative energies, such as vegetable fuels or CNG for transportation had still been unable to live up to the expectations of the government. He said that although the utilization of biodiesel had increased from 360 thousand kiloliters in 2012 to 670 thousand kiloliters in 2013, the use of bio-ethanol as a fuel alternative to gasoline had been stagnant since 2012. At BPPT`s energy outlook 2013, efforts to boost the added value of energy through mining and mineral industries smelters were also discussed. The energy outlook will also discuss a long term projection for energy utilization and production for the 2012 to 2023 period. This will be compiled in a book. In the meantime, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) said there were plans to build 112 units of mineral smelters in the country and some of them had been nearing completion. By November, 23 units of these smelters had reached a more than 80 percent completion state or were ready for commissioning, data from the ministry revealed. Other smelter projects are still in the early phase of implementation with some not even having feasibility studies. The construction of the smelters is under a law that requires producers of minerals to process their ores in the country. Currently, only producers having their own smelter projects or projects in cooperation with other companies have been allowed to export mineral ores. From January next year, exports of mineral ores will be banned, which is part of a policy aimed at increasing the added value of the minerals to create more jobs. Based on data from the ESDM, Indonesia has exported 465 million tons of nickel ores, 16.11 million tons of iron ore and sand, 47.01 million tons of bauxite and 1.02 million tons of copper concentrate.