JAKARTA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is offering opportunities for private companies to build bioethanol plants as part of efforts to support the implementation of a mandatory 20 percent ethanol blend (E20) in gasoline by 2028, a senior energy official said on Monday.
Eniya Listiani Dewi, director general of new, renewable energy and energy conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said the government would model the bioethanol policy after its successful biodiesel program, which opens up space for private sector participation.
"Private companies are allowed, and we strongly encourage them to build these (bioethanol) plants," Dewi said.
She emphasized that the development of the bioethanol industry should not rely solely on state-owned enterprises.
Dewi noted that while constructing a plant is expected to take around 1.5 years, the main challenge remains the availability of raw materials. ■