Indonesia‘s effort to incorporate burning wood in its energy mix and exports, drove deforestation in the country, harming key habitats for endangered species, revealed a report by regional NGOs.
In the research, it was highlighted that bioenergy, considered renewable by the International Energy Agency, uses organic materiallike trees, to boost their production.
The experts also indicated that the facilities of biomass They emit more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than current coal plants. Therefore, using biomass to “co-ignite” these plants could maintain dependence on fossil fuels in the future.
Likewise, it was detailed that the production of wood pellets and chips in the country, which are used in said devices, grew by 20 thousand to 330 thousand tons between 2012 and 2021, and it is estimated that it caused the deforestation of almost 10 thousand hectares in the last four years.
Finally, the report highlighted that more than 10 million hectares of “undisturbed forest” are at risk due to biomass expansion, many of which are habitats for endangered species like orangutans.
AE