June 21, 2025 | 01:05 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Saturday- 09:12, 04/11/2023

Indonesia's Jokowi to push for domestic seaweed processing, including for fuel

(VAN) Indonesia President Joko Widodo on Thursday (Nov 2) said the government will push for the development of a domestic seaweed processing industry, including for the production of fuel.
A seaweed farmer carries a load from a harvest at Nusa Beach on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Mar 18, 2021. Photo: AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka.

A seaweed farmer carries a load from a harvest at Nusa Beach on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Mar 18, 2021. Photo: AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka.

Speaking at a business conference, Jokowi, as the president is known, said he will implement downstream policy for other commodities after successfully implementing it on mineral resources.

Resource-rich Indonesia banned exports of nickel ore to favour domestic processing in 2020, which attracted billions of dollars in investments into smelters to produce metals, and facilities to extract the materials used in electric vehicle batteries.

He said the downstream policy will also be implemented on agriculture products such as seaweed, which the archipelago country is the world's second-largest producer of.

"Not only for pharmaceutical and cosmetics, (seaweed) can also be used to produce bioethanol," Jokowi said.

Indonesia's seaweed output this year is estimated at 10.2 million metric tons, he said, and most are exported raw.

Bioethanol is typically produced from sugar molasses but certain types of seaweed have been promoted as alternative feedstock to produce the renewable fuel.

Indonesia is seeking to increase its bioethanol production capacity as it aims to expand the portion of renewable fuel in its energy consumption.

It mandates the use a biodiesel called B35, which contains 35 per cent fuel made from palm oil, but has not mandated the use of a bioethanol mix in gasoline due to the limited supply of sugar.

Authorities have also suggested using cassava as a potential source of bioethanol.

HD

(Reuters)

New outbreaks of Newcastle disease wreak havoc on Poland’s poultry industry

New outbreaks of Newcastle disease wreak havoc on Poland’s poultry industry

(VAN) Poultry production in Poland, which has only started recovering from devastating bird flu outbreaks earlier this year, has been hit by a series of outbreaks of Newcastle disease, with the veterinary situation deteriorating rapidly.

China demands sensitive information for rare earth exports, companies warn

China demands sensitive information for rare earth exports, companies warn

(VAN) Extensive licensing requirements raise concerns about intellectual property theft.

Salmonella outbreak linked to California egg distributor sickens 79 people

Salmonella outbreak linked to California egg distributor sickens 79 people

(VAN) As of Friday, a salmonella outbreak linked to a California egg producer had sickened at least 79 people. Of the infected people, 21 hospitalizations were reported, U.S. health officials said.

Ukraine: Rural communities need immediate support to plant and produce food amid ongoing war

Ukraine: Rural communities need immediate support to plant and produce food amid ongoing war

(VAN) With the war ongoing, many Ukrainian farmers and rural farming families face limited access to their land due to mines and lack the financial resources to purchase needed agricultural inputs.

How the fertiliser king of WA grew a $5b fortune with no one noticing

How the fertiliser king of WA grew a $5b fortune with no one noticing

(VAN) Vikas Rambal has quietly built a $5 billion business empire in manufacturing, property and solar, and catapulted onto the Rich List.

Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure continues to deteriorate at alarming rate

Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure continues to deteriorate at alarming rate

(VAN) Available cropland now at less than five percent, according to latest geospatial assessment from FAO and UNOSAT.

Alt Carbon scores $12M seed to scale carbon removal in India

Alt Carbon scores $12M seed to scale carbon removal in India

(VAN) Alt Carbon has raised $12 million in a seed round as it plans to scale its carbon dioxide removal work in the South Asian nation.

Read more