RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The government is accelerating bioenergy development based on agricultural commodities to strengthen national energy security. The program focuses on utilizing cassava, oil palm, sugarcane, and corn as raw materials for alternative energy.

Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, said the measure follows President Prabowo Subianto’s instructions to speed up energy self-sufficiency. “We just held a coordination meeting, on the President’s instructions, to accelerate energy self-sufficiency,” Zulkifli said in Jakarta on Friday, March 13, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He explained that the government will expand cassava cultivation, which will be processed into ethanol as an alternative fuel. “Cassava will be converted into ethanol. Additionally, we will accelerate the development of oil palm plantations, with a portion dedicated to biofuel production,” he said.

Sugarcane and corn will also be prepared as raw materials for ethanol production, diversifying agricultural-based energy supplies.

The government has not yet detailed production targets for bioenergy from these commodities. However, utilizing agricultural resources is considered a key step in diversifying the national energy mix and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that Indonesia’s palm oil production reached about 47 million tons in 2023 and is projected to rise to 48.12 million tons by 2025, with an average productivity of 3.3 tons per hectare.

In the energy sector, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources aims to implement a 20 percent ethanol blend in gasoline(E20) by 2028 to reduce imports. National corn production in 2026 is projected to reach around 18 million tons of dried kernels, supported by a 4.18 percent increase in the first-quarter harvest.

In addition to bioenergy, the government is also accelerating electricity infrastructure development, including plans to build up to 100 gigawatts of solar power plants. “We will also switch our vehicles from gasoline to electric,” Minister Zulkifli said.