The government must accelerate the process of converting kerosene to 3 kg Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for people in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, in particular West Flores regency, for the sake of sustainable livelihood of the people and the government’s green energy target, an energy observer says.
Chairman and Founder of the Energy Institute for Transition (EITS), Godang Sitompul, said the kerosene-to-LPG conversion program in the West Flores region, including Labuan Bajo, has yet to be implemented.
“In the midst of energy transition and net zero emission issues, I am concerned about why it is so difficult to massively convert kerosene to LPG in NTT. If the kerosene conversion program is successful, imagine how much carbon emissions from the kerosene stoves can be reduced by using LPG stoves?” Godang said as quoted in a statement on Friday, December 20, 2024.
State energy company PT Pertamina has expressed readiness to implement this program in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) since 2017 through the construction of an LPG terminal at Tenau Fuel Terminal in Kupang, with a capacity of 2 x 500 metric tons. However, its implementation is still awaiting official instructions from the central government.
As a result, people in West Flores still depend on kerosene and non-subsidized LPG. LPG available in the region is generally 12 kg and costs around Rp250,000 (US$15.3) per cylinder, while subsidized 3 kg LPG is not yet available.
This condition causes difficulties for the community, especially during kerosene and LPG shortages. Media has reported that residents in Labuan Bajo had difficulty obtaining both fuels, which had an impact on people’s daily activities.
Godang called on the central government to issue official instructions for Pertamina to start the conversion program in NTT so that people can switch to subsidized 3 kg LPG, which is more affordable and environmentally friendly.
Godang said that the East Nusa Tenggara province must take the initiatives to make the kerosene-to-LPG conversion a success. He cited that Flores has been designated as a Geothermal Island in accordance with the provisions of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources through the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources No. 2268 K / MEM / 2017.
He emphasized that geothermal utilization based on the ministerial decree is also in line with the roadmap for accelerating the renewable energy mix as stipulated in Presidential Regulation No. 112/2022 on Accelerating the Development of Renewable Energy for Electricity Supply.
