Palm Oil Best Alternative Source Of Energy

Jakarta, July 4 (Antara) - Palm oil is the best alternative source of energy to replace dwindling sources of fossil fuel, an expert said. Indonesia is the world`s largest producer of crude palm oil (CPO), one of the basic materials for bio-fuels. "Palm oil is sustainable and environmentally friendly, Ernan Rustiadi, a senior lecturer at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) said. The trend of industrial growth is shifting more toward the domination of vegetable resource based industries, Ernan said in a discussion on "the Importance of Palm Oil Industry for the National Economic Growth amid Negative Campaigns in the West," held in Bogor on Thursday. "The dwindling natural resources in fossil energy could be replaced with vegetable natural resources. This is a good opportunity and at the same time a challenge for Indonesia," he said in the discussion organized PT Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA Group) at the IPB campus. He said many countries are worried about energy crisis in the future after experts and scientists predicted that sources of fossil energy would be depleted in 50 to 75 years to come. Currently many countries begin to develop BioEco Energy (bio-fuel), he said. He said the most potential alternative source of energy is crude palm oil (CPO). The prospects are encouraging for CPO-based bio-fuel industry as the country has the basic material in abundance, he said. "CPO would be higher in demand ," he said. A number of studies show that bio-fuel is more efficient than oil fuel and it much cleaner, he said. Bio-fuel is more efficient as apart from the basic material being available in abundance , it is renewable. Meanwhile, Research and Technology Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said development of palm oil for bio-energy is most strategic. "Amid the global energy crisis , Indonesia should take a big step to develop palm oil technology to produce bio-energy," Hatta said. He said the government encourages development of the technology as in the next 10-20 years Indonesian sources of fossil energy would be depleted. Chairman of the Research Center for National Palm Oil (PPKS) Witjaksana Darmosarkoro said the program to cope with energy crisis through development of CPO-based bio energy would not succeed without support from the stakeholders. He said support from the office of the research and technology minister, the agriculture ministry and trade ministry is needed. Indonesia as the world largest palm oil producer should serve as a reference in the development of palm oil in the world, he said. Meanwhile, the Energy Study Center of the University of Gadjah Mada launched a White Book on National Energy containing eight recommendations to accelerate development to make Indonesia self reliant in energy. Head of the study center Deendarlianto said in Yogyakarta on Thursday the recommendations include on incentive for oil and gas explorations. Other recommendations include acceleration of energy infrastructure development and expansion of the capacity of oil refining industry , development of non fossil energy such as bio-fuel. "It is time for reform in the management of energy system in Indonesia. Failure would drive us to energy crisis, and success would usher us to an era of sustainability in energy," Deendarlianto said. UGM Rector Pratikno said he hoped the results of studies by UGM experts could be used as a reference for the government energy policy.