Mr Immanuel Sutarto
gbg |
PT Eterindo produces both specialty plasticizer and biodiesel using feedstock from your CPO plantation in West Kalimantan. What are the current strategies being followed by the company? |
Mr Immanuel Sutarto |
PT Eterindo is a subsidiary of PT Eterindo Wahanatama, the company has developed from a synthetic manufacturer then to a plasticizer producer and subsequently entered into petro-chemical products. In 2005 we entered the biodiesel sector specifically and were the pioneer in Indonesia at that time; now there are more than 22 biodiesel producers. The prospects in the industry are still good and we see many opportunities there. In Indonesia there are plenty of raw materials for production as crude palm oil output is around 20 million MET per year. Yet, as a country we do not yet produce enough of the downstream products and the majority of output it still exported in raw form. The government policies are very supportive towards our sector as renewable energy will benefit the nation by providing jobs, building energy reserves, and future energy security. It will also reduce reliance on imports as Indonesia needs approximately 32 million MET per year of diesel oil for transportation. The government’s goal that diesel should contain at least 5% biofuel by 2025 would mean 1.6 million MET of biodiesel being demanded by the domestic market every year. Of course the issue determining the use of biodiesel in both the domestic and international market is the cost and the rising price of CPO, which is why we also have our own plantations to manage our own raw materials. Our plantation in Kalimantan will be productive from 2014. |
gbg |
What do you think should be done to improve Indonesia’s CPO productivity per hectare which is currently lower than other countries such as Malaysia? |
Mr Immanuel Sutarto |
For Indonesia’s large CPO players, the productivity is more than 5 MET per hectare, but this is not the case for plantations owned by individuals or by the community where the productivity is lower. This is the responsibility of private and state owned plantation companies to improve the methods being used on individual and community plantations. In Malaysia, almost all of the CPO plantations are owned by large companies so they do not face this issue, but in Indonesia it is a more varied industry. |
gbg |
What differentiates PT Eterindo as a local company compared to other companies within your sector in Indonesia? |
Mr Immanuel Sutarto |
We are always looking for new opportunities, we want to make our company different not only in terms of the products we offer but also the culture and the business partners that we choose to work with. As a company we remain focused on the future which is why we are now centred on the energy sector and the potential in both upstream and downstream renewable energy. |
gbg |
What should Global Business Guide’s audience remember about PT Eterindo? |
Mr Immanuel Sutarto |
As a company we try our best not only in our lines of business in terms of profit, but to contribute to the Indonesian community. We support the government programs and policy that aim to improve our environment. There are many opportunities in Indonesia for renewable energy development; the government policy to support green activities in energy security and to reduce emission levels opens up many possibilities. We as a company focus on the specific product of biodiesel which we hope will contribute to this mission. We firmly believe that in the future renewable energy can replace non-renewable sources for the benefit of the environment. |
Global Business Guide Indonesia - 2011
Opportunities in Energy: Beyond Fossil Fuels
Overview of the Oil & Gas sector in Indonesia
Challenges in Indonesia’s Oil and Gas Industry
Overview of Geothermal Energy in Indonesia
Investing in Geothermal Energy in Indonesia
Overview of the Coal Industry in Indonesia