Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Investment and Downstreaming Ministry has initiated efforts to accelerate the development of an integrated biofuel factory in Lampung under a broader push to strengthen national energy security.Deputy Minister Todotua Pasaribu said the project focuses on bioethanol production, adopting a renewable energy model rooted in agriculture and locally sourced feedstock and materials.He made the statement during a visit to Lampung on Tuesday, where he witnessed the signing of a joint declaration titled Collaboration in Establishing Bioethanol Ecosystem Development by the provincial government and several corporations.The companies involved were PT Pertamina New and Renewable Energy, PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and PT Toyota Tsusho Indonesia.The declaration lays a foundation to build feedstock supply chains, develop bioethanol facilities, strengthen agricultural partnerships, advance technology, and accelerate investment realization to support energy security.“Lampung has the most adequate feedstock to support national bioethanol development and is strategically positioned to supply Sumatra and parts of Java, which account for Indonesia’s largest energy consumers,” Pasaribu said.He underlined that the government considered those factors before designating the province as the cornerstone for national bioethanol development.That decision was reinforced by his firsthand observations at two sites projected for the integrated biofuel complex in Pesawaran and South Lampung districts.According to Pasaribu, Lampung possesses abundant feedstock resources, including sugarcane molasses, sorghum, and biomass waste, all of which can be processed into bioethanol while involving local farmers and businesses.He added that the province’s strategic location and supporting logistics infrastructure further strengthen its suitability for the project.The initiative will begin with a pilot phase involving the cultivation of Enryu sorghum on 10 hectares and the construction of a bioethanol facility with an annual capacity of 60 kiloliters.A commercial phase will later expand cultivation to 6,000 hectares and increase production capacity to 60,000 kiloliters per year.Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027, with operations targeted for the final quarter of 2028.Pasaribu added that the declaration's signatories will proceed with a joint feasibility study, project design, sorghum development, and financing arrangements to prepare the project for implementation.