Biomass Potential from Agricultural Residues in Indonesia

Abstract

Biomass can serve as an alternative to fossil fuels, which cause significant harm to the environment and human health. As an agricultural country, Indonesia has substantial biomass energy potential. This study aimed to estimate the biomass potential derived from major food and plantation crops over the past five years and present its distribution map across the country’s 38 provinces. Residues from paddy, corn, sugarcane, coconut, and oil palm were considered. The estimation of biomass potential from agricultural residues was calculated based on the average–2020-2024 production data of related crops using equations from previous studies. As a result of the study, the total available agricultural biomass residue potential (ABP) from these five crops residues was calculated to be 55.79 million tons, with a total heating value (THV) of approximately 857.44 PJ. The biomass potential from paddy, corn, and oil palm residues holds the highest value, approximately 98.23% (842.31 PJ) of the total estimated biomass potential. Among food crops, provinces with the highest biomass potential from paddy residues are East Java, Central Java, and West Java, while from corn residues, East Java and Central Java are prominent. For plantation crops, East Java and Lampung lead in biomass potential from sugarcane residues, Riau and North Sulawesi from coconut residues, and Riau, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan from oil palm residues. This study is expected to contribute to the development of biomass energy utilization from agricultural residues in each province in Indonesia, and enhancing biomass availability could further promote sustainable agriculture and energy management in Indonesia.