Building a Biogas Industry Network as an Effort to Enhance the National Economy Recovery

BANDUNG - The Resilience Development Initiative (RDI Indonesia) as one of the Think-Tanks active in the field of renewable energy, together with GIZ Germany and 11 international organizations spread across 8 countries in the European Union, Africa, and South America, are working together on “Digital Global Biogas Cooperation (DiBiCoo)” held a matchmaking event for various domestic and foreign institutions engaged in renewable energy which was held at Champaca Room Padma Hotel Bandung, Tuesday (31/5) afternoon. This event was held to facilitate new collaborations and partnerships and to act as a marketing add-on to promote new biogas business opportunities in Indonesia and Europe.

Various stakeholders in the European Union, Indonesian stakeholders (project implementers/developers, government agencies, etc.), stakeholders from DiBiCoo's target countries which include (South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Argentina), members of the DiBiCoo consortium namely GIZ Germany , European Biogas Association, German Biogas Association, Austria Energy Agency, Austria Biogas Association, INTA Argentina, GreenCape South Africa, SELECTRA South Africa, ISEES Ghana, and ICEADDIS Ethiopia, also attended this event. Various institutions in Indonesia also attended this event such as Clean Power Indonesia, Ecody Agro Energi, Asindo Tech Limited, Bangka Asindo Agri, GIZ ExploRE Indonesia, GREE Indonesia, PT Dharma Satya Nusantara, Raja Rafa Samudra Group, Jababeka, PTPN V, Winrock Indonesia, Global Dairi Alami, EIS Biogas, Kaltimex, Evonik Indonesia, Total Energies Indonesia, GGGI Indonesia, and the Association of Indonesian CNG Companies.

Edi Wibowo, Director of Bioenergy at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, in the opening session also invited participants who attended online and offline to encourage collaboration and partnership in the biogas industry in order to build the national economy, including in the field of employment. “We hope this event can serve as a preview to network and share knowledge about best practices. Let's collaborate to build a sustainable energy system by walking together, recovering together for both the national economy and employment," said Edi. Apart from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, this event was also opened by Dr. Saut Sagala as one of the founders of RDI Indonesia.

This matchmaking event is the fourth matchmaking event and is held in a hybrid format by RDI, divided into three sessions—Indonesian case sharing, experience sharing by European Union stakeholders, and matchmaking sessions. Approximately 53 participants attended in person in Bandung, while about 20 people joined online.

Before moving on to the main session — the matchmaking session — the first sharing session featured four inspirational speakers from the Indonesian biogas sector, each of whom presented an idea for the biogas project they were developing. Jaya Wahono from Clean Power Indonesia, explained the material regarding certainty of money back, human capital, and natural capital in biomass production. The material was learned from the Mentawai Biomass Gasification project. Another presenter was a representative from GIX ExploRE Indonesia, Dody Setiawan, who presented knowledge related to the potential of Bio-CNG in Indonesia. Next, Shinta Mulyasari as a representative of Ecody Agro Energi also shared her understanding of POME-EFB to be used as electricity. The last speaker session was occupied by Harry Pujiansyah from Asindo Tech who explained about the process of processing cassava waste for biogas and its potential to be upgraded to bio-CNG.