Indonesian government preparing national energy policy

JAKARTA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government is currently preparing a national energy policy that will underline the diversification, intensification and conservation of energy sources.

The energy diversification gives priority to the use of gas and coal as substitutes for oil, the Head of the Research and Development Center of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Nenny Sri Utami said.

Gas and coal can be used as good substitutes for oil in the provision of energy sources for the generation of electricity, the operation of industrial plants and public transport vehicles as well as household activities, Antara news agency Tuesday quoted Nenny as saying.

The application of gas includes bio-diesel, bio-ethanol, gas fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while coal can be used in the form of briquette, she said here on Monday.

The energy policy is also aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy like geothermal energy, hydropower energy, wind energy and solar energy, she added.

The energy diversification policy also includes the construction or provision of infrastructures for the application of alternative energy sources such as power plants, gas pipelines, special coal transportation trains.

The energy intensification policy underlines efforts to intensify oil and gas exploration. "Indonesia still needs to raise its oil and gas production as 90 percent of transportation services in the country still depend on oil supply," she said.