PAPUA — Papua affirms its strategic position in the national energy self-sufficiency roadmap through its vast natural resource potential.
The government is encouraging the accelerated development of renewable energy and bioenergy based on local commodities such as palm oil, sugar cane, and cassava to reduce dependence on energy imports and strengthen national energy security sustainably.
“We hope that oil palms will also be planted in Papua so that they can also produce fuel from palm oil,” he said.
“Sugar can also produce ethanol, and cassava can also produce ethanol, so we plan to achieve independence within five years,” Prabowo said.
The integration of bioenergy with renewable energy such as solar and hydropower is also considered capable of increasing the country’s fiscal efficiency.
“If we can grow oil palms, cassava, and sugar cane using solar and hydropower, imagine how many hundreds of trillions of rupiah we could save each year,” he emphasized.
Prabowo also highlighted the still-high burden of energy imports, with fuel imports reaching approximately IDR 520 trillion per year. Therefore, reducing dependence on imports would open up greater fiscal space.
This strategic direction was reinforced by Bahlil Lahadalia, Chairman of the National Energy Council (DEN), and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.
He stated that the President had ordered the development of a comprehensive strategy to reduce fuel imports.
“There are four focuses, Mr. President: the first is energy sovereignty, the second is energy security, the third is strengthening energy independence, and the fourth is self-sufficiency,” Bahlil said.
He added that national energy security, which currently lasts around 21 days, is targeted to increase to three months through the development of storage infrastructure.
Support for this policy also came from a native Papuan, Yance Mote, who believes the direction of energy development is aligned with the needs of local communities.
“The welfare of the Papuan people is a primary concern of the Central Government,” he said.
Yance emphasized the importance of empowering indigenous communities to participate directly in sustainable natural resource management.
“For us, it’s time for the Papuan people to move up a level. From being objects to becoming subjects,” he said.
Through integrated natural resource management involving renewable energy, bioenergy, and oil and gas, Papua is projected to become a pillar of Indonesia’s energy self-sufficiency and a driver of national economic equality. (*)
