Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Ministry has moved to prepare one million hectares of land to support Indonesia's plan to mandate gas stations to blend 10 percent ethanol into their fuel products.
Addressing the press in Jakarta on Wednesday, ATR Minister Nusron Wahid highlighted that his side had identified around 240 thousand hectares of land across 18 provinces nationwide with the potential to host ethanol plants.
"We are still working to expand the coverage to one million hectares," he added.
Earlier, on October 7, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia announced that President Prabowo Subianto had approved the plan to implement the 10-percent mandatory ethanol fuel blend (E10) policy to reduce imports and carbon emissions.
He described the E10 policy as a strategic step for Indonesia to strengthen energy self-reliance while promoting the development and use of cleaner and more environmentally friendly gasoline.
On October 21, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman noted that President Prabowo had instructed his aides to prepare one million hectares of land for cassava cultivation, which is one of the primary sources of ethanol alongside corn and sugarcane.
While confirming that the cassava project will be implemented nationwide, he said the specific locations had yet to be finalized pending coordination with ATR Minister Wahid.
"The plan is to carry out this initiative across the country, in regions with suitable conditions," he remarked.
To execute the E10 policy in 2027—expected to require 1.4 million kiloliters of ethanol annually—the government plans to offer incentives, including potential tax holidays, to companies investing in ethanol production facilities in Indonesia.
Indonesia has also sought international support by signing a memorandum of understanding with Brazil on the development of environmentally friendly ethanol-based biofuels. The agreement was inked in Jakarta on October 23 in the presence of President Prabowo Subianto and his Brazilian counterpart, Lula da Silva.
