JAKARTA: Airbus’s Singapore branch has partnered with Indonesian researchers to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biomass, aiming to source up to 100 million tonnes annually from Indonesia.
Biomass refers to organic materials such as crop waste, wood and other plant-based matter that can be converted into renewable energy, including biofuel for aviation. Airbus is currently collaborating with researchers at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in West Java on a comprehensive study of biomass availability, logistics, supply chain mapping and optimal factory locations in Indonesia to minimise transportation costs.
Meika Syahbana Rusli, Head of IPB’s Surfactant and Bioenergy Research Centre (SBRC), said Airbus is “very interested” in developing SAF from biomass and has recognised Indonesia’s significant potential as a key supplier.
“SAF currently produced from used cooking oil, waste palm oil and low-quality vegetable oils has limited production capacity due to competition with the food supply,” he said on Monday.
“Airbus estimates that by 2030, SAF must be produced from biomass. The company identified that Indonesia has the potential to produce 500 million tonnes of biomass annually, far exceeding their requirement of 100 million tonnes,” Meika added.
He explained that regions in Sumatra and Kalimantan have large amounts of unused empty palm fruit bunches, while Java Island produces significant volumes of rice straw, which is mostly discarded or burned by farmers.
Despite Indonesia’s strong potential to produce biomass, Meika noted that major challenges remain, particularly in collecting biomass efficiently from farmers, given poor infrastructure in many remote areas.
He also pointed out regulatory gaps and a lack of research on effective and efficient methods to process biomass into plant based jet fuel or bioavtur at scale.
Indonesia has seen a steady rise in both exports and domestic consumption of biomass in recent years, particularly in the form of wood pellets and wood chips. While this trend presents new business opportunities, it also raises concerns over the growing risk of deforestation.
According to environmental watchdog Auriga Nusantara, nearly 10,000 hectares of forest were cleared for biomass production between 2020 and 2024. The group warns that far more forested land could be at risk as the country scales up biomass development, with industries increasingly clearing natural forests and replacing them with fast-growing monoculture plantations.
This expansion threatens the habitats of many endangered species, including orangutans in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Last month, PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI), the refinery and petrochemicals arm of state-owned energy giant Pertamina, started production of SAF derived from used cooking oil at its Cilacap refinery.
Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of crude palm oil (CPO), has been piloting projects on converting CPO into bioavtur since 2021, as well as exploring the bioavtur potentials of used cooking oil, of which it is the third-largest exporter globally.
If the cooking oil-based SAF passes all regulatory and quality benchmarks, it will be green-lit for the first test flight in August.
The energy ministry is targeting a one per cent share of vegetable oil in its bioavtur blend by 2027 as part of the country’s broader efforts to reduce oil imports and lower carbon emissions.
In a statement made in December 2024, the International Air Transport Association highlighted SAF as a key component in decarbonising the aviation industry and urged governments worldwide to provide incentives for scaling up SAF production. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
