Sampoerna Agro inaugurates biogas power plant

By Febry Silaban

IDX-listed plantation firm PT Sampoerna Agro Tbk inaugurated on Thursday a biogas power plant with a capacity of 4 MW in Ogan Komering Ilir regency, South Sumatra.

The power plant uses Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) as fuel.

The project is an evidence of the firm?s support to the government?s renewable energy development program, President Director Ekadharmajanto Kasih said.

The government targets to the portion of renewable energy to reach 23 percent by 2025 in the national energy mix.

As of November of this year, two biogas power plants owned by the firm had been supplying power to 2000 households in 20 villages. The power is transmitted through the network owned by state owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

?We support the government?s acceleration program to increase electrification of rural areas to 100 percent by 2019. This is a concrete step of our commitment as a clean renewable energy player,? he said.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon