Jacobs studies feasibility of redeemable biomass electricity credits in Riau

By Romel S. Gurky

US-firm Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced on Tuesday that it completed a study investigating the potential use of Redeemable Biomass Electricity Credits (RBEC) in the province of Riau.

The project was in collaboration with Universitas Muhammadiyah in Riau with grant funding provided by the Energy and Environment Partnership Indonesia (EEP), supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Through the study, Jacobs assessed the feasibility of rural communities in Riau trading biomass with a power plant operator in exchange for RBECs credited against their electricity accounts; potentially increasing their access to affordable electricity and improving quality of life for residents, as well as reducing the environmental impact of agricultural waste.

The study explores how the RBEC concept could work in practice; analyzing financial, social, logistical and environmental considerations for the various stakeholders involved; including farmers, collectors, transporters, power plant developers, electricity purchasers and regulators. The completed study, which also identified potential pilot project locations, was presented to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Government of Indonesia.

In making the announcement, Jacobs Group Vice President Kevin McMahon stated, "We are pleased to take part in opportunities like this one that utilize our technical expertise to examine ways to deliver potential benefits to the communities of countries around the world in which we operate."

Jacobs is committed to delivering safe and sustainable solutions for its clients worldwide. Last year, Jacobs contributed to reducing clients' carbon footprint by 4.3 million metric tons. To learn more, please download Jacobs' Sustainability Report as a PDF or an app.

Jacobs is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of technical professional and construction services.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon