Ecobiz.asia — PT Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE) has launched a Bioethanol Development Centre in Tegineneng, Pesawaran, Lampung, as a pilot facility to develop first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) bioethanol technologies and feedstocks.
Launched on Monday (Sept. 14, 2026), the facility uses a multi-feedstock and multi-generation approach to test different feedstocks and bioethanol production technologies before they are scaled up.
Pertamina NRE President Director John Anis said the centre would serve as a pilot facility for testing combinations of feedstocks and technologies, with production capacity of up to 60 kilolitres of bioethanol a year.
“The Bioethanol Development Centre in Lampung was developed as a pilot facility with a bioethanol production capacity of up to 60 kilolitres per year,” John said at the launch.
The facility will test the full production process, including pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation and dehydration. It will also test feedstock pre-treatment processes for 2G bioethanol production.
One of the feedstocks being developed is sorghum, which Pertamina NRE considers promising because of its productivity and harvesting cycle.
“What is interesting about sorghum, besides its productivity, is that it can be harvested three times a year,” John said.
Under the multi-generation approach, sorghum juice will be used as feedstock for 1G bioethanol, while the stalks and remaining biomass after juice extraction will be directed toward 2G bioethanol production.
Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming and Deputy Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Todotua Pasaribu said bioethanol development in Lampung could link agriculture, industry, technology, investment and local communities into a renewable energy-based economic value chain.
The development strategy in Lampung includes the reactivation of existing facilities, synergies with state-owned plantation company PTPN, integrated 1G and 2G sorghum development, downstreaming of cassava and corn, and plant conversion, Todotua said.
The launch was also marked by two memorandums of understanding (MoUs). The first was signed between Pertamina NRE and the Lampung provincial government covering agribusiness development, energy security and food security.
The second MoU involves Pertamina NRE, PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN), Toyota Tsusho Indonesia (TTI) and the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (raBit). The parties will explore the technical and commercial aspects of sustainable bioethanol production and utilisation in Indonesia.
The cooperation includes feasibility studies, technology development and utilisation, as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience.
John said results from pilot-scale testing would form the basis for technical, economic and commercial assessments before the technology moves toward demonstration and commercial-scale development.
“Pertamina NRE is strongly committed to supporting the President’s programme and the major ambition of achieving bioethanol production of 1 million kilolitres per year through a multi-generation system,” John said.
The Bioethanol Development Centre also positions Lampung as an end-to-end bioethanol development location, covering feedstock development and cultivation, processing and technology validation. ***
