Indonesia, Toyota in talks on potential $300-MM bioethanol project
Indonesia is in talks with Japan's Toyota Motor Asia on a potential joint investment in bioethanol production in the Southeast Asian country, a government official and executives from Toyota said.
Here are some details:
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A renewable energy subsidiary of Indonesia's state energy firm Pertamina is discussing potential joint investment with Toyota Tsusho for a bioethanol plant in Indonesia's Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra, said Deputy Investment Minister Todotua Pasaribu.
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If they reach a deal, construction on a plant with capacity of 60,000 kiloliters of bioethanol per annum could start in the second half of 2026, with production eyed in 2028, he said.
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A new 6,000-hectare (around 14,800 acres) sorghum plantation will produce the feedstock, Pasaribu said.
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The estimated total cost of the investment is $200 million-$300 million, he said.
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Japan's Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (raBit) is involved in the talks, Pasaribu said.
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Speaking alongside Pasaribu, Masahiko Maeda, Toyota Motor Asia's chief executive for the Asia region, said Toyota vehicles could use the bioethanol produced in the Lampung plant.
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Pras Ganesh, an executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia, told Reuters on the sidelines of the press conference that discussions were still underway and a deal has not been reached.
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Indonesia has set a target to produce bioethanol using domestically available sources such as biomass from palm oil, corn and sorghum to reduce its reliance on imported fuels.
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The country plans to impose mandatory 10% bioethanol content in gasoline in 2028.
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