JakartaPost-March 7, 2024
In the bustling kitchens of Indonesia, stretching from the sprawling metropolis of Jakarta to the tranquil coasts of Bali, a remarkable untapped resource is being generated – used cooking oil (UCO). Once considered a waste product, UCO is a potential green goldmine in the burgeoning biofuel market. UCO is a vital resource in the efforts to meet the growing global thirst for renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), both important fuels for a more sustainable future. UCO is a second-generation feedstock and one of the most prized inputs for SAF, driving huge global demand. With growing recognition of the value of UCO, we want to explore the ingredients that could unlock the latent potential in Indonesia. Serving up this opportunity will require effective collection and conversion of UCO, but the result could deliver a welcome boost to the nation’s economy, as well as pave the way for a more sustainable future in Indonesia and beyond. Ingredients for Indonesia’s UCO ecosystem Indonesia has a rich culinary tradition and one which generates a significant UCO footprint. The nation consumed around 8 million tons of cooking oil in 2022, primarily derived from oil palm. After losses due to absorption and evaporation, around 700,000-900,000 tons are practicably and economically collectable as UCO. However, only around 227,000 tons per year (KTPA) of UCO was collected in 2022. Globally, between 11 million and 12 million tons of UCO were collected in 2022, making Indonesia’s around 227 KTPA a small but significant 2 percent of the global total. The Asia Pacific (APAC) region generates the greatest share of global UCO resources, almost half (47 percent) of global supply, with Indonesia as one of the top three exporters as of 2022. Read more at:
