Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, revealed that the government will encourage several commodities for its downstream program, in addition to nickel. "There are 26 to 28 commodities that will be prioritized, especially in fisheries, forestry, agriculture, oil and gas, and mineral and coal (minerba)," he said when met at his office on Friday, January 10, 2025.
According to Bahlil, President Prabowo is advocating for development across all sectors. "So far, we have been focusing on nickel, but copper is already progressing. Then there's bauxite, tin, oil and gas. We are also pushing for methanol," Bahlil explained.
The 28 commodities for downstreaming include coal, nickel, tin, copper, bauxite, stainless steel, gold and silver, lead asphalt, sand, manganese, cobalt, metals, petroleum, natural gas, palm oil, coconut, rubber, biofuel, round log, pine resin, shrimp, fish, crab, seaweed, salt, nutmeg, cocoa, and tilapia.
Specifically for oil and gas, the government will also build methanol production facilities for B35 and B40 needs to meet the production target of 2.3 million tons. Currently, domestic production, according to Bahlil, can only reach 500,000 tons. "This means that up to 80 percent is still imported," he said. "We are pushing for methanol production in Bojonegoro."
In addition to methanol, Bahlil mentioned that the government is also encouraging the development of an ammonia industry in West Papua. He added that the government is promoting the development of various other industrial sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and forestry, as these sectors have the potential to create significant employment opportunities.
In the coal sector, the government is also promoting gasification or dimethyl ether (DME) as an alternative energy source to replace liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). According to Bahlil, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) requires companies that previously held Coal Mining Business Agreements (PKP2B) and have obtained Special Mining Business Permits (IUPK) to implement coal downstreaming.
President Prabowo Subianto, when he first took office, instructed ministers to formulate a downstreaming program. He believes that the downstreaming program will be one of the key strategies for the government to address poverty in Indonesia.
