JAKARTA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung said Friday that the country was building its first bioethanol factory in Merauke, South Papua province, as part of its efforts to develop alternative energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Bioethanol is an ethanol-based liquid fuel made from plant-derived raw materials. Indonesia has allocated 2 million hectares of land in Merauke for sugarcane plantations, which will serve as primary raw material for bioethanol.
"We hope that in 2027 we will be producing bioethanol in Merauke, South Papua," Yuliot said.
The factory will have three units, with each producing 300,000 kiloliters per year.
