Advancing Sorghum-Based Bioethanol for the Energy Transition Program in Indonesia: Economic and Environmental Aspects

Abstract

Sorghum presents promising prospects as an alternative feedstock for bioethanol production, owing to its high sugar content and superior agronomic properties. This study examines the feasibility of sorghum-based bioethanol in supporting the national energy mix target and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The distribution of areas across 38 provinces in Indonesia related to potential sorghum cultivation was identified using a remote sensing approach, differentiated into four suitability classifications to estimate bioethanol production capacity. The concept of an integrated sorghum processing plant with a capacity of 4 kL per day is adopted, requiring 300 ha of land for cultivation for each bioethanol plant. The results of the study indicate that utilizing the national sorghum potential can significantly contribute to achieving the national biofuel target and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study identified 3.334 million ha of land in Indonesia suitable for sorghum cultivation, with a bioethanol production potential of 13.31 million kL per year, equivalent to 36.95% of the national gasoline demand in 2023, the base year of this study. Under the proposed sorghum bioethanol scenario, this alternative fuel could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25.8 million tons of CO₂eq by 2045 compared to the business-as-usual scenario. The implementation of sorghum-based bioethanol aligns with the national emission reduction program aimed at achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2060. Thus, sorghum can be one of the solutions to support the national energy and environmental targets. This study provides an important foundation for the development of sorghum-based bioethanol in Indonesia.